Does Aaron Rodgers really deserve to be the highest-paid player in the NFL?

The Aaron Rodgers saga continues to stretch on as Green Bay Packers fans sit back and wait for his decision. What everyone has seen is the team making moves to free up cap space. That may point towards a plan to offer the quarterback a serious extension to keep him happy and in Wisconsin.

Rumors have started to swirl about just how much money the Packers could offer Rodgers. One estimate that seems to keep popping up is a $50 million annual value. That would make him the highest-paid player in the NFL.

Fans know teams all over the NFL can move money around and pay a player this kind of amount. But does the quarterback deserve this money, from the Packers or any other team?

Does Aaron Rodgers deserve to be paid top dollar?

Minnesota Vikings v Green Bay Packers

Paying him $50 million for two seasons is a fascinating discussion when looking at the top NFL earners right now in 2022. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan holds the highest cap hit in 2022 at $48.6 million. The current highest earner in cash is Josh Allen at $46.9 million, while Kirk Cousins and Deshaun Watson are tied for the highest base salary at $35 million.

Any team paying Rodgers $50 million per year would have to play some salary cap gymnastics to make it work. Even then, he would get his money somehow.

But does he deserve it? That is a subjective question that fans can answer either way. Those against the idea might say that he still only has one Super Bowl to his name and has failed to advance to the big game in each of the past three years, even though his team has won 13 games all three times.

Yet those in favor will point to how much money quarterbacks all around the league are getting. Paying him $50 million per year would likely mean the money is spread out anyway, so it works under the cap. It's also important to remember that the cap keeps going up, keeping pace with rising salaries in general.

Green Bay's No.12 is still one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Even if his cap hit was $50 million, it would be right there with Ryan's figure.

One thing to remember about Rodgers is that any new deal would likely be for two years. So it is a big expense in exchange for a few years of chasing a Super Bowl with one of the best quarterbacks of the era.

For the Packers, they retain continuity and avoid tarnishing the legacy of a franchise great. It seems like a no-brainer after how this situation was created in the first place, with the front office drafting his replacement in Jordan Love far too prematurely.