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| Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) and Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) speak after the fourth quarter of a football game on September 17 at the new retractable roof Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. File photo by David Tulis/UPI | License Photo |
By The Sports Xchange, UPI
Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff revealed that he had an impromptu meeting with Aaron Rodgers when discussing quarterback Matt Ryan's contract during an appearance on Andrew Brandt's The Business of Sports podcast.
Dimitroff said he met the Green Bay Packers quarterback by chance in Minneapolis.
"I saw Aaron, interestingly enough, at the Super Bowl in the airport," Dimitroff said. "He just said to me, 'We don't know each other that well, but just get this deal done with Matt first so I can get on with my life.'"
The Falcons eventually signed Ryan to a blockbuster five-year, $150 million contract with $100 million guaranteed on May 3, making the 2016 NFL Most Valuable Player the highest paid player in the league.
Rodgers, who may soon take that title, has two years left on the original five-year, $110 million extension he signed in 2013. The two-time NFL MVP and six-time Pro Bowl selection is scheduled to make $19.8 million in 2018 and $20 million in 2019, per Spotrac.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said earlier this month that he's "confident" that an agreement on a new contract will come "soon."
Rodgers sustained a broken right collarbone that derailed the majority of his season in 2017. He was able to return for one game following an eight-week absence before the team placed him on injured reserve after it was eliminated from playoff contention.
The 34-year-old Rodgers passed for 1,675 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions over seven games this past season, his 13th in the NFL.
Rodgers ranks second all-time in franchise history in passing yards (38,502) and touchdowns thrown (313), trailing only the legendary Brett Favre in both categories (61,655 and 442, respectively).
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