Aaron Rodgers

Packers Notes: Peterson, Rodgers, Guion

March 28th, 2017 at 9:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After losing guard T.J. Lang in free agency, Packers coach Mike McCarthy says he’s not looking to move tackles Jason Spriggs or Bryan Bulaga to the inside, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes. Green Bay may have to look for replacements in the draft or in the late stages of free agency, but the team could also consider other internal options. Rising sophomore Kyle Murphy played tackle in college, but he might be a better fit at guard, while the the Packers are also high on fellow second-year lineman Lucas Patrick. Veteran Don Barclay could be a “fallback option,” Demovsky writes, but he wouldn’t be a terribly exciting choice.

Here’s more from Green Bay:

While Packers general manager Ted Thompson admitted his club needs to bring in reinforcements at running back, he wouldn’t respond to recent report indicating Green Bay has interest in free agent Adrian Peterson. “We don’t talk about players that are not on our team,” Thompson said, per Demovsky. “We never have. We never will.” The Packers’ backfield depth chart is slim at the moment, as the only running backs on the roster are Ty Montgomery, Christine Michael, and Don Jackson. Green Bay is expected to wait until after the draft before assessing its options at running back.
The Packers will likely wait until next offseason to work out an extension for quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and the club won’t let a looming Rodgers deal affect its decisions in the present, according to Ryan Wood of PackersNews.com. Earlier this month, Rodgers said Mike Glennon‘s contract with Chicago “has to” push up the top of the QB market, an indication that Rodgers might push for a new pact. Rodgers later walked his comments back, but Green Bay will likely carry over at least $10MM in cap space in an effort to save funds for Rodgers, per Wood.
Defensive tackle Letroy Guion is set to serve a four-game ban for violating the league’s PED policy, and Thompson believes Guion’s situation “will work itself out,” reports Wood in a separate piece. Guion has already agreed to a restructured deal that delays his roster bonuses, but Green Bay could cut bait without incurring much dead money. The Packers would be able to recoup 4/17 of Guion’s signing bonus because he’s been suspended, meaning the club would take on fewer than $300K in dead money.

Aaron Rodgers To Push For New Deal?

March 8th, 2017 at 11:41am CST by Sam Robinson

The latest polarizing free agent likely set to cash in due to the quarterback position’s supply-and-demand state, Mike Glennon could have an effect on how the player many perceive as the game’s best passer proceeds. Seeing Glennon in line to sign for as much as $15MM per year, Aaron Rodgers said that situation “has to” lead to a revisiting of his own deal with the Packers, per Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com (on Twitter). Rodgers, though, downplayed this perceived desire for a pay bump (via Twitter).

Rodgers is no longer the league’s highest-paid signal-caller, with Andrew Luck now occupying that status. In fact, Rodgers’ $22MM-per-year setup has slunk to fourth on this list in terms of AAV — also behind Drew Brees and Joe Flacco. The 33-year-old perennial MVP candidate is signed through the 2019 season and will count $20.3MM, $20.9MM and $21.1MM in those years.

However, several other quarterbacks look to be in line to surpass Rodgers’ salary via likely 2017 extensions. Matt Ryan, Matthew Stafford and Derek Carr, and possibly Kirk Cousins, figure to sign for more than $22MM per year. Rodgers could be reacting to this as much as Glennon being set to follow in Brock Osweiler‘s footsteps.

Rodgers signed his five-year, $110MM extension in 2013. He bounced back from a substandard (for him) year by leading the NFL with 40 touchdown passes and guiding the Packers to their eighth straight playoff berth after the team began the season 4-6. The longtime starter’s virtuoso playoff work led the Packers past the Giants and Cowboys in January.

Going into the 2017 season, Rodgers figures to have several years left to contribute to Green Bay’s championship cause. He discussed playing into his 40s early during the 2016 season, which was the former first-rounder’s 12th in the league. Among active quarterbacks, Rodgers’ two MVPs are also tied with Tom Brady — in six fewer seasons as a full-time starter — for most in football, so he figures to have a case for a raise should he bring this up to Packers management.

Packers Notes: Lang, Cook, Shields

January 23rd, 2017 at 3:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

T.J. Lang will be a sought-after guard if he makes it to the free agent market, joining the likes of Kevin Zeitler, Ronald Leary and Larry Warford among a talented contingent of interior blockers. But the six-year Packers starter wants to wrap up his prime years in Green Bay.

“I think everybody in this locker room knows that this is where I want to play,” Lang said, via Ryan Wood of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “It’s been eight years now. I don’t want to go anywhere. I’ve been saying that since the beginning. I love this team; I love Green Bay; I love everything about being a Packer.”

Already having two tackles signed long-term, Ted Thompson did not make a Lang extension a priority this season. Nothing emerged about the sides discussing a deal. Lang, who will undergo hip surgery for an injury that’s bothered him all year (per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com), won’t turn 30 until September. He made his first Pro Bowl this season, but Thompson cut three-time Pro Bowler Josh Sitton last year. The Packers have depth at tackle with Bryan Bulaga, David Bakhtiari and second-rounder Jason Spriggs, but the build-from-within team doesn’t have a surefire replacement lined up at guard. Center J.C. Tretter also stands to be a UFA come March.

Here’s more coming out of Green Bay after the franchise’s second NFC championship loss in three seasons.

Count Jared Cook as another Packer who wants to come back.Aaron Rodgers agrees with that sentiment. “Jared Cook, I think, needs to be near the top of the priority list, the way he played this year,” the All-Pro quarterback said, via Wood. Cook represented one of Thompson’s rare forays into free agency, and with the backing of the league’s most gifted quarterback — and the team finally having a viable weapon at tight end — a reunion makes sense. Wood reports a source informed him in December a Cook return was likely. An underwhelming raw talent with the Titans and Rams, Cook caught 18 passes for 229 yards and two TDs in his first playoff run. He and Martellus Bennett are the top tight end options on the current market.
Rodgers appeared to be stumping for more talent to be added this offseason, Thompson’s free agency-phobic tendencies notwithstanding. “We need to reload,” he said, via Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “I don’t think we need to rebuild; we need to reload. We got a lot of players who are young. … We just need to reload a little bit this offseason.” Green Bay’s core receivers are all under contract for 2017, with only Cook as a UFA. The Packers re-signed Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb in recent years and could do the same with Cook. Rodgers added that keeping the offensive line together was a “big part of our success.” Of the Packers’ starting line, only Lang is a free agent.
Sam Shields does not want to retire despite suffering two concussions in a nine-month stretch, but Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal notes the Packers are likely to move on from their previous No. 1 corner. Shields stands to carry a $12.125MM cap number in 2017, his age-30 season and the last on his contract, and the Packers would save $9MM by cutting him. The team did not receive much consistency at cornerback this season due to rampant injuries, but Green Bay did draft corners in the first and second round of the 2015 draft and land promising UDFA Ladarius Gunter. So, Shields returning at that price is almost certainly a non-starter, and he might have to find another employer on a short-term deal.

Extra Points: Gronk, Rodgers, Sproles, Bills

September 9th, 2016 at 8:17pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Tight end Rob Gronkowski, who has been dealing with a hamstring injury, did not accompany the Patriots on their trip to Arizona on Friday, reports Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal (Twitter link). That means Gronkowski will not play Sunday against the Cardinals, according to Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com (via Twitter). Gronkowski’s absence will leave New England’s offense without its two best players (quarterback Tom Brady is suspended) as the Jimmy Garoppolo-led club goes on the road to face one of the NFL’s premier teams.

More from around the league as the first Sunday of the regular season draws closer:

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, 32, would like his playing career to last until at least age 40, he told Pete Dougherty of USA Today. “I think it’s more realistic now than it was when I first started playing,” the eight-year veteran said of achieving his goal. “The way the (practice) schedule is now, training camp, the research on nutrition. I think it is possible to play and play well into your 40s.” Only three QBs – Packers legend Brett Favre, Hall of Famer Warren Moon and Vinny Testaverde – have started at least 10 games in their 40s since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, notes Dougherty. Aside from Rodgers, fellow current signal-callers Brady and Drew Brees have also expressed a desire to last that long. As a 39-year-old (40 next August), Brady looks like a shoo-in to accomplish that goal.
The Eagles’ Darren Sproles will act as more of a receiver than a running back this year, writes Paul Domowitch of Philly.com. Sproles led all running backs in receptions (232) from 2011-13 as a member of the Saints, but he wasn’t as involved in the Eagles’ passing game under now-former head coach Chip Kelly the previous two seasons. Sproles still caught 95 balls, including 55 last year, while combining for 140 carries. As a runner, he’s unlikely to approach last year’s 83-attempt mark in new head coach Doug Pederson‘s offense, per Domowitch, with Ryan Mathews and Kenjon Barner set to receive the bulk of the work. For his part, Sproles is content with taking on more of a pass-catching role. “They’re playing to my strengths,” he said. “I really like this offense.”
Brian Fettner, the agent for the Bills‘ Seantrel Henderson, explained Friday why he and his client dropped their appeal of the right tackle’s four-game suspension for marijuana use. Fettner stated (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter): “Merciful or not, there is no medical exception that the NFL will accept. It doesn’t matter that Seantrel is battling Crohn’s disease, and has had his intestines outside his body. It doesn’t matter how you take it, if you digest the cannabis, that’s it. And they don’t care. So you can appeal and lose, and push it back, or you can get it over with. Per the negotiated letter of law, it seems like a futile appeal. We don’t want to waste anyone’s time. We want Seantrel back as soon as possible.”

Zach Links contributed to this post.

North Notes: Lions, Browns, Packers, Bears

July 20th, 2016 at 9:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Lions finished 27th in rushing DVOA last season and still have uncertainty along their offensive line, meaning their running game is a question mark as the club heads into the 2016 campaign, writes Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. Free agent Arian Foster was scheduled to work out for Detroit this week, but the team never got a chance to take a look at the veteran running back before he signed with the Dolphins. Ameer Abdullah and Stevan Ridley both are dealing with injury issues, while Zach Zenner doesn’t have much of a track record. Theo Riddick is probably the surest bet on the roster, but he’s been deployed primarily as a receiving back. Still, Rothstein doesn’t expect the Lions to add an outside option to the position group.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two North divisions:

Browns defensive lineman Desmond Bryant was ruled out for the season after tearing a pectoral muscle last week, but the 30-year-old isn’t yet ruling himself done for the year. “Absolutely, I’m hopeful that I can (come back this season),” Bryant told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “The timetable for rehab is four-to-six months, so it’s possible. I’ll do everything I can to get back as soon as I can.” Clearly, Bryant is using the most optimistic timeline in his projection, and it’s ultimately up to the Cleveland front office whether or not it puts Bryant injured reserve. But given the new IR rules, the Browns could conceivably place Bryant on IR and decide to bring him back later in the season if he progresses well enough.
After posting his worst statistical season in some time, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is hoping for a bounceback year, and he’s taken steps to move in that direction, as Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes. Rodgers has lost weight, slimming down to 215 pounds, and also underwent surgery after Green Bay’s postseason run in order to clean up a knee injury. The former MVP produced a career-worst passer rating of 92.7 in 2016, but quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt is certain Rodgers will rebound. “Not up to his standards,” Van Pelt said of Rodgers’ campaign. “Obviously, we’ve targeted improvement areas, and he’s on board.”
Although he was absent from mandatory minicamp, Bears offensive lineman Ted Larsen is simply experiencing leg soreness and will be fine, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). There was some thought that Larsen may have been seriously injured given that Chicago signed fellow guard Amini Silatolu earlier today, but it doesn’t look like that’s the case. Larsen and Silatolu figure to compete for the top reserve role along the interior, backing up starters Kyle Long, Hroniss Grasu, and Cody Whitehair.
The Packers worked out former Texas A&M punter Taylor Symmank today, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Symmank was apparently close to an agreement with the division rival Vikings earlier this year, but no word of an official signing was ever reported. Green Bay appears to be updating its specialist emergency list, as the club auditioned kicker Brent Wahle yesterday.

NFC QB Notes: Cousins, Rodgers, 49ers, Giants

July 15th, 2016 at 8:16pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Redskins didn’t put forth much of an effort to sign quarterback Kirk Cousins to a long-term deal in advance of Friday afternoon’s deadline for franchise-tagged players, reports Mike Garafolo of NFL Media. In fact, the offer the Redskins presented Cousins at February’s scouting combine – $16MM per year and a total of $24MM in guarantees – never changed before the deadline, per Garafolo. Accepting that would’ve placed Cousins an underwhelming 21st among QBs in average annual salary, notes Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com. Cousins will instead play the year under the $19.95MM franchise tender he signed in March, and while that doesn’t give the 2015 breakout star long-term security, he is set to lead all signal-callers in 2016 salary. If Cousins proves last year wasn’t a fluke and the Redskins tag him again as a result, he’ll rake in an even richer amount, $23.94MM.

More on Cousins and some other NFC passers:

Although the Redskins’ offer to Cousins wasn’t in line with his outstanding production from last season, the organization thought it better to err on the side of caution and continue to make the 27-year-old prove he’s worthy of a substantial commitment over the long haul, writes John Keim of ESPN.com. Cousins has fans within the franchise, but others lack full certainty that he isn’t a one-year wonder. “It’s a critical moment for Kirk and the franchise,” one of Cousins’ teammates told Keim in regards to the upcoming season. “If this pans out, the franchise is set for the next eight years.” Like the anonymous player, Keim expects the Redskins to give Cousins a multiyear contract if he has another strong season.
In an interview with HBO’s Bill Simmons, the Packers‘ Aaron Rodgers relayed the possible reason why the 49ers passed on him with the first pick in the 2005 draft (via CSNBayArea.com). “The story that I heard—and I don’t know if it’s true or not—that Mike Nolan said that when he saw Alex (Smith) open the car door for his mom that he knew that was the quarterback he wanted,” Rodgers said of Nolan, who was then the 49ers’ head coach. “And I said, ‘Well, I was at lunch with him. My mom wasn’t there and my dad wasn’t there.” Smith, now with the Chiefs, has experienced a fine career after some initial growing pains, but Rodgers – who fell to the 24th selection that year – is a Super Bowl champion and a Pro Football Hall of Fame shoo-in. Nolan, who may have taken the wrong QB based on preposterous rationale, is out of work after spending last season as the linebackers coach in San Diego. The 49ers went 18-37 during his three-plus-year tenure.
The Giants plucked Logan Thomas off waivers less than a month ago, but his time with Big Blue could be short-lived, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. Rookie head coach Ben McAdoo‘s predecessor, Tom Coughlin, was a proponent of keeping two QBs, and Schwartz writes that it wouldn’t be a surprise for McAdoo to operate the same way. With Eli Manning and Ryan Nassib atop the Giants’ depth chart under center, Thomas might not make it to Week 1 in their uniform.

QB Notes: Cousins, Taylor, Bortles

July 2nd, 2016 at 10:10am CST by Ben Levine

We’ve had several days to recover from Andrew Luck‘s record-breaking contract extension with the Colts. Of course, plenty of pundits are now analyzing how that deal might impact the league’s other quarterbacks.

Let’s take a look at some quarterback-centric notes, and we may get some clarity on who will get paid next…

Luck’s new contract will have little influence over Kirk Cousins‘ potential next contract with the Redskins, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Rather, the quarterback will likely be operating under the franchise value, which ends up being around $78.36MM over three seasons.
Meanwhile, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News believes Luck’s new deal “only mean[s] good fortune” for Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor. The writer is convinced that the organization will spend on a franchise QB, although he’s uncertain how much they’ll actually be willing to pay Taylor.
While Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles surely won’t make Andrew Luck-money, Gene Frenette of Jacksonville.com believes the signal-caller could be in line for a contract exceeding $100MM.
Barring some unforeseen circumstances, no quarterback from the 2013 draft will be in line to command a huge payday. However, Florio notes that a handful of 2014 draft picks are in line to get paid, including Bortles, Derek Carr, and Teddy Bridgewater.
Former NFL agent Joel Corry (writing for CBSSports.com) surveys several other quarterbacks who could be impacted by the Luck deal, including Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Matthew Stafford.

Extra Points: Rodgers, Jets, Jaguars, 49ers

January 29th, 2016 at 10:16pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in the days following the team’s Jan. 16 playoff loss to Arizona, Jason Wilde and Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com report. A source indicated that the procedure was a “clean-up of an old injury.” Rodgers should be ready for the Packers’ offseason program in April, according to Wilde and Demovsky. Rodgers told Wilde that he’s “doing well” and “recovering on schedule” (Twitter link via Demovsky).

NFC Notes: McKay, Bears, JPP, Rodgers

August 11th, 2015 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

Falcons president Rich McKay, who received a suspension from the NFL as part of the team’s penalty for pumping fake crowd noise into the Georgia Dome, is set to meet with commissioner Roger Goodell and league officials about reinstatement to the competition committee, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Owner Arthur Blank says he’s “optimistic” McKay will be reinstated.

“We’ve had some discussions with the league,” Blank said. “Rich is scheduled to go up there in a few weeks and meet with the commissioner and others. Rich certainly has my support. He was a very valued member of the committee for 22 years and was mentioned [Saturday] night by Bill Polian, who was an inductee into the Hall of Fame, as somebody who was important that he worked with for a number of years.”

Here’s more from around the NFC:

The Bears, having traded guard Ryan Groy to the Patriots, have been keeping an eye out for potential offensive line additions during camp. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the club worked out veteran free agent Lucas Nix last week. Nix, 25, started 10 games for the Raiders in 2013.
Despite Jason Pierre-Paul‘s absence from the Giants‘ training camp, co-owner John Mara says the team still has “a good relationship” with the defensive end, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. However, Mara added that JPP won’t rejoin the Giants “until he’s ready to come do some [physical] therapy.”
Speaking to Peter King of TheMMQB.com, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers thinks he’s got another eight years in him. Of course, since Rodgers is still just 31 years old, it’s impossible to predict what his health or his NFL future will look like seven or eight years down the road. For what it’s worth, the two-time MVP also said two years ago that he hoped to play eight more seasons.
The Rams‘ new two-year extension with quarterback Nick Foles is a smart deal for both sides, opines Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The Seahawks recently worked out several defensive linemen, including former Colorado State Pueblo pass rusher Darius Allen, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).

Aaron Rodgers Wins MVP

January 31st, 2015 at 9:08pm CST by Zachary Links

For the second time, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has won the NFL’s MVP award, as Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk writes.

Rodgers, who won the MVP trophy in 2011, completed 341 of 520 passes for 4,381 yards in 2014. The 31-year-old threw for 38 touchdowns on the year while getting picked off just five times. Rodgers’ stellar touchdown-to-interception ratio was the fifth-best in NFL history and good for second among quarterbacks with at least 30 touchdown passes. No. 12 led Green Bay to a 12-4 mark this past season, though the Packers fell short in the postseason when they blew a big lead to the Seahawks in the NFC championship game. Rodgers is just the ninth player in history to win multiple MVP trophies.

Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com (on Twitter) notes that J.J. Watt – this year’s DPOY – came in second place with 13 votes. Tony Romo and DeMarco Murray each got two votes. Tom Brady received one vote and, surprisingly, Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner also received an MVP vote.

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