Packers: Aaron Rodgers contract extension top of the offseason to-do list

CHARLOTTE, NC - DECEMBER 17: Aaron Rodgers No. 12 of the Green Bay Packers reacts after a touchdown pass against the Carolina Panthers in the first quarter during their game at Bank of America Stadium on December 17, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - DECEMBER 17: Aaron Rodgers No. 12 of the Green Bay Packers reacts after a touchdown pass against the Carolina Panthers in the first quarter during their game at Bank of America Stadium on December 17, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is going to get paid in the near future. It’s just a matter of when.

It’s only a matter of time before Aaron Rodgers once again becomes the highest paid player in NFL history.

The Green Bay Packers‘ two-time MVP quarterback is entering the final two years of his deal, and new general manager Brian Gutekunst will want to ensure his extension is taken care of sooner rather than later.

By the time Rodgers’ current deal ends, he’ll be 36-years-old. His next extension could potentially be his last in Green Bay.

Matthew Stafford‘s extension with the Lions last August set the bar. Stafford signed a five-year, $135 million deal, with $92 million guaranteed, ahead of the 2017 season. Stafford’s cap hit peaks in 2020 at $31.5 million, according to Over The Cap.

Rodgers is currently the seventh highest paid quarterback in the NFL, but this won’t be the case for long.

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Gutekunst will want to get the deal done this offseason. He certainly won’t want Rodgers to enter a contract year in 2019. Imagine the speculation that would grow around the league, and it would lead to a considerably bigger contract.

Rodgers should be the top paid passer in the league. He’s the most gifted quarterback in football, and with him, Green Bay is a Super Bowl contender every year.

Take him away for half the year and Green Bay slumps to 7-9, misses the playoffs and lands the No. 14 pick in the draft.

Rodgers signed a five-year, $110 million extension with the Packers in 2013. Like this year, he still had two more seasons on his current deal when he signed.

Since that extension, Rodgers has helped the Packers reach the brink of the Super Bowl twice, earned a second league MVP award, landed another All-Pro selection and earned three Pro Bowl honors. He was also the NFL’s passing touchdowns leader in 2016.

Next: Packers: 12 players that need to go this offseason

Rodgers deserves a new contract, and it will almost certainly happen this offseason.