Report: Aaron Rodgers Close To Deal That Will Make Him The Highest-Paid Player In NFL History

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers are close to an extension that would make him the highest-paid player in NFL history, surpassing the contract recently signed by Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens.

Rodgers' new deal will reportedly pay him $23-25 million per year.That's a lot of money for a player who has already played through his prime years.

Rogers' new deal would exceed Flacco's 6-year, $126 million. At $20.1 million per year, Flacco's deal was just slightly larger than Drew Brees 5-year, $100 million deal with the Saints. Rodgers does have two years remaining on his current deal. He will make $9.7 million this season and $11.0 million next season.

Of course, in the NFL, the most important part of the contract is the guaranteed money. Flacco's deal contains $52 million in guaranteed money. For Brees, only $40 million was initially guaranteed, however, more has kicked in since then. It is unclear how much will be guaranteed on Rodgers' new deal.

Rodgers will turn 30 during the 2013 season. And there is some evidence that quarterbacks in the NFL peak around the ages of 28-29. And in the age of strict salary caps, teams have to be careful how much the give to a single player. The Packers could be haunted in the future by a contract that appears to be more about what Rodgers did than what Rodgers will do.