Rodgers joins Mahomes and more with restructured contract - ESPN

This week Aaron Rodgers made headlines with a massive restructuring of his contract.

The New York Jets' signal-caller opted to reduce his salary by $35 million over the next two seasons, helping to give his new team a better chance at constructing a competitive roster.

Though Rodgers' new deal drew headlines for its size and potential implications on the next chapter of his highly decorated career, it's not the first time such a restructuring has occurred.

In fact, star quarterbacks and teams agreeing on mutually beneficial contract restructuring has become quite common over the last several years. Here are some of the most notable new deals inked by quarterbacks in recent memory:

New England Patriots

For all of Brady's accomplishments on the field, he was also successful at helping manage his team's cap situation. Per Spotrac, since 2012 Brady had almost as many contract re-structures as Super Bowl victories. Re-doing his deal twice with the Patriots and once with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brady's willingness to negotiate on active contracts freed up millions in cap space for his teams over the course of his lengthy career.

New Orleans Saints

Playing 20 years in the NFL, and 15 with the Saints, Brees developed a reputation as a consummate professional. One of his final acts with the team reflected that reputation — a pre-retirement contract restructuring that saved the Saints nearly $24 million in cap space ahead of the 2021 offseason. It was a valuable parting gift — as New Orleans was in dire cap straits at the time of the deal.

Kansas City Chiefs

Mahomes has consistently made clear throughout his career that he's willing to sacrifice extra cash on his contract in order to allow a better team to be built around