Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has made plenty of money on the field but apparently not as much as he’d like to make away from it, has made a change in his representation for the purposes of capitalizing on his name and image.
Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal reports that Rodgers has parted ways with Excel Sports Management, and he has hired CAA.
“Aaron has a clear vision for growing his brand and business off the field,” Michael Levine of CAA Sports told Mullen.
Making the move far more intriguing is the fact that CAA has become one of the largest and most successful agencies for on-field work, particularly when it comes to quarterbacks. So while Rodgers continues to be represented by David Dunn of Athletes First when it comes to Rodgers’ contract, it’s hard not to wonder whether the folks at CAA will be looking for ways to leverage the marketing relationship with Rodgers into a piece of his next big contract -- especially since many believe he’s already overdue to receive one.
That said, Rodgers praised Dunn earlier this month on the issue of Rodgers’ four-year-old deal, which tied him to the Packers for three more seasons.
“I have a fantastic agent, he does a great job,” Rodgers said. “He worries about that stuff. When it comes to setting the market values, I let that stuff take care of itself. I know my value in this league, and I know the team appreciates me. I’m going to continue to make myself an indispensable part of this roster. When you do that, when your time comes up to get a contract, you usually get a contract extension.”
He’s right, but the problem is that Rodgers’ current deal pushed that time too far into the future, instead of ensuring that he’d be back at the trough for a new contract while on the right side of 35, or that his compensation in the out years of a seven-year commitment would be tied to the ongoing spikes in the salary cap.
Rodgers has had a decent amount of off-field visibility during his career, fueled largely by his relationship with the State Farm insurance company. But he hasn’t parlayed his football success into the same profile that others have enjoyed, like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. He arguably hasn’t made as much money as he could have or should have playing football, either. As CAA works to improve the former, it’s fair to wonder whether they’ll be hoping for a chance to enhance the latter, too.