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Aaron Rodgers agrees to record-setting extension

Rob Demovsky, ESPN Staff Writer

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers have agreed to a record-breaking four-year, $134 million extension that could be worth up to $180 million in total money, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday.

Rodgers is expected to sign the deal at some point Wednesday, a source told Schefter. The deal would run through the 2023 season, when Rodgers will turn 40 years old.

The extension includes nearly $103 million total in guarantees, another record amount, and has an annual average value of $33.5 million, according to Schefter.

The total maximum value of the deal is between $176 million and $180 million, based on $4 million in incentives tied to helping the Packers make the playoffs and finishing top three in quarterback rating, the source told Schefter.

An important feature of the deal for Rodgers was the cash flow in the first year, according to Schefter. Rodgers will receive $67 million by the end of the 2018 calendar year and an additional $13 million before March 17, 2019, according to Schefter.

The two sides had been working on this since before the combine in early March, when new general manager Brian Gutekunst said he expected a deal to get done this offseason.

When Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan signed an extension on May 3 that averaged $30 million per season, it cleared the way for the Packers to once again make Rodgers the highest-paid player in the NFL. That came after Jimmy Garoppolo’s deal for $27.5 million a year with the 49ers in February and Kirk Cousins’ $28 million a year deal with the Vikings in March.

When Rodgers signed his last contract — a five-year, $110 million extension that included a $35 million signing bonus and a total of $54 million guaranteed — he was at the top of the scale at $22 million per year. He surpassed Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, who at $20.1 million per season had been the highest paid player in the NFL.

Before this latest deal, he had slipped to ninth. He had two seasons left on that contract and was scheduled to make $20.9 million this season and $21.1 million in 2019.

Rodgers, 34, has said he would like to follow Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and play into his 40s. Rodgers is entering his 14th NFL season, but it’s only his 11th as a starter after he sat behind Brett Favre for three seasons.

Rodgers said earlier this offseason: “I’ve said I’d love to finish my career here.”

“Every player would love to be able to pick when and how they finish up,” Rodgers said this offseason. “That usually doesn’t happen, though. So I’m going to try to play as well as I can for a number of years, and hopefully it’s here the entire time.”

Rodgers has sustained two major injuries in the past five seasons — a broken left clavicle in 2013 and a broken right clavicle last season. After the first one, he came back the next season and won his second NFL MVP.

The biggest question leading up to this point was how the Packers and Rodgers could structure a deal to ensure they remained as a Super Bowl contender.

“Like the last time, although it was large financial numbers, it was a deal that myself and the team was happy with,” Rodgers said earlier this offseason. “It gave us the ability to do some things and made my camp number never go above an unmanageable level. So, obviously, I want to finish my career here. I’ve said that a number of times and still have two years left on my deal, so we’ll see what happens this offseason.”

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/24514088/green-bay-packers-aaron-rodgers-record-extension

Photo: Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Packers trade QB Hundley to Seahawks

By Blake Froling

The Green Bay Packers traded backup quarterback Brett Hundley to the Seattle Seahawks for a 2019 sixth-round draft pick, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Rob Demovsky.

Hundley was forced into duty last year when Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone in week six and struggled, going 3-6 as a starter. He threw nine touchdowns and 12 interceptions and completed just over 60 percent of his passes.

So far this preseason, Hundley is 23/37 passing for 263 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Former Cleveland Browns quarterback DeShone Kizer is now the presumptive backup to Rodgers. He was acquired via trade early in the offseason for cornerback Damarious Randall.

Photo by Scott Clarke / ESPN Images

Bennett: Rodgers has arm talent, Brady easier to play with

Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady is the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player, and in the eyes of former NFL tight end Martellus Bennett, he is deserving of another distinction: the easiest quarterback to play with.

Bennett, who finished his 10-year playing career in 2017 catching passes from Aaron Rodgers and Brady, compared the two in an appearance on “The Doug Gottlieb Show” on Wednesday.

“I think that no one has more arm talent than Aaron,” Bennett said on the program. “Aaron can do pretty much anything with the ball. I feel like Tom is really precise, easier to play with. I’d say [it was] easier to play with Tom than anybody else.

“He just makes the game easy, like what he expects, where he wants you to be, and where he’s putting the ball. It’s just repetition. He does so many repetitions with you, whether it’s mental reps, physical reps, or walk-through, he’s always letting you know. He communicates the best of what he expects.

“The communication between him and the receiver is probably on the highest level of what you like to do, what he likes to throw. If he sees something, if you ask him to do something, he’ll try it, and he’s like, ‘Oh yeah, let’s go with that.'”

Bennett, 31, played for the Dallas Cowboys (2008 to 2011), New York Giants(2012), Chicago Bears (2013 to 2015), Patriots (2016, 2017) and Packers (2017).

In 16 regular-season games with the Patriots in 2016, he caught 55 passes for 701 yards and seven touchdowns.

In 2017, Bennett played in seven games for the Packers and had 24 catches for 233 yards and no touchdowns before he was waived with a shoulder injury.

In his interview with Gottlieb, he deflected a question on who was the best quarterback he’s played with, but he said his time in New England stood out in one regard.

“I had the most fun in my NFL career playing for the Patriots … because they didn’t worry about anything else but football,” said Bennett, who is now focused on a career as a children’s author. “In some of the other workplaces, they worry about how you dress, what you look like, all this other stuff. You come to work to play football, the only thing coaches should be talking to you about is football. Everything else is ridiculous.”

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/24328539/ex-tight-end-martellus-bennett-compares-tom-brady-aaron-rodgers

Hit that injured Aaron Rodgers would be a penalty this year

Courtney Cronin
ESPN Staff Writer

EAGAN, Minn. — If the hit Anthony Barr laid on Aaron Rodgers last season — which broke the Green Bay quarterback’s collarbone — took place this season, it would be deemed a penalty.

According to NFL official Pete Morelli, who explained the league’s rule changes to a group of Twin Cities media on Thursday, Barr’s hit would fall under a point of emphasis the NFL has instituted for 2018. It would be a 15-yard penalty for roughing the passer.

Rule 12 in the NFL’s 2018 rulebook details player conduct. Under Article 9, which explains the rules around roughing the passer, the manner in which a quarterback in a defenseless position (which is just after he’s completed throwing a pass) is tackled is the point of emphasis.

The rule states the following:

“A rushing defender is prohibited from committing such intimidating and punishing acts as ‘stuffing’ a passer into the ground or unnecessarily wrestling or driving him down after the passer has thrown the ball, even if the rusher makes his initial contact with the passer within the one-step limitation provided for in (a) above, When tackling a passer who is in a defenseless posture (e.g., during or just after throwing a pass), a defensive player must not unnecessarily or violently throw him down or land on top of him with all or most of the defender’s weight. Instead, the defensive player must strive to wrap up the passer with the defensive player’s arms and not land on the passer with all or most of his body weight.”

According to Morelli, everything boils down to whether a defender uses his full body weight to bring down a quarterback any time he is in a defenseless position.

“Players will have to kind of roll to the side when they make that tackle instead of plopping down on him (the quarterback),” Morelli said. “The Aaron Rodgers would be a foul this year. As long as he’s out of the pocket, established and all that. But if he’s running, that’s not the same.”

On the play in question, Rodgers rolled out of the pocket to his right and launched a pass. Barr took the two steps required before wrapping the quarterback up by the waist and tackling him.

Upon being tackled, Rodgers braced himself with his right (throwing) arm as he hit the turf. Barr brought Rodgers to the ground and rolled off the quarterback’s left shoulder within seconds of completing the tackle. Barr was not penalized.

The rule, according to Morelli, applies to a quarterback whenever he’s in a defenseless position, which could be in the pocket or whether he runs and sets up again outside of the pocket.

“If you roll out and get set up, you’re still a passer,” Morelli said. “But if you’re rolling out and throwing and a guy’s chasing you and tackles you, you’re not defenseless. They get two steps and they can tackle you. Becoming defenseless is setting up again outside the pocket.”

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/24266658/tackle-injured-aaron-rodgers-penalty

Photo: Adam Bettcher/Getty Images

NFC North Q&A: Who will win the division?

ESPN.com Staff

Will the Minnesota Vikings defend their NFC North crown in 2018, and which teams from the division will make the playoffs? Our division reporters make their predictions:

Courtney Cronin, Minnesota Vikings reporter: Packers. Green Bay will halt the Vikings’ attempt for a second straight division title and capture the NFC North in Aaron Rodgers‘ season of redemption. Green Bay made a ton of changes to its coaching staff and drafted cornerbacks with its first two picks to combat a passing league. They also have two of the league’s top red-zone targets, Jimmy Graham and Davante Adams, and added three receivers in the draft. The entire division got better this offseason, including Minnesota stealing the spotlight by signing Kirk Cousins. Still, the Packers and Vikings will be the only two teams to make the playoffs from the North. Chicago and Detroit are improved but probably still a year away from reaching the postseason.

Rob Demovsky, Green Bay Packers reporter: Vikings. This looks like a two-playoff-team division if the Vikings and Packers live up to expectations. The Week 2 game between the two teams at Lambeau Field will give one of them an early leg up in the division and could shape the way things go the rest of the way. At this point, though, the Vikings look like the more complete team thanks to a strong defense, an improving offense and stability off the field in the coaching and personnel departments.

Jeff Dickerson, Chicago Bearsreporter: The Minnesota Vikings. But I also have the Green Bay Packers making the playoffs as a wild-card team. The Vikings are the easy choice to win the NFC North after they reached the NFC Championship Game last year and then signed quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency. I also fully expect Aaron Rodgers to have an MVP-type season after he missed nine games last year due to injury. I’m not sure what to make of the Lions under Matt Patricia. And Chicago — under new head coach Matt Nagy — is an improved team, but I don’t anticipate the Bears qualifying for the postseason.

Michael Rothstein, Detroit Lions reporter: Vikings. Rodgers is back and automatically makes the Packers one of the top teams in the NFC, but Minnesota might be the top team in the conference other than Philadelphia and maybe Los Angeles. The Vikings improved from last season, added Kirk Cousins, get Dalvin Cook back from injury and have the division’s top defense, so they win the division again. The Packers also make the playoffs as a wild-card team. The Lions end up close but a tough schedule at the beginning and end of the season keeps them out of the playoffs for the second straight year.

Photo: Rick Wood /Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

http://www.espn.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/81440/nfc-north-qa-who-will-win-the-division-2

Aaron Rodgers not the only ‘most important’ player for Packers

Rob Demovsky, ESPN Staff Writer

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Here are the five players who can help make the Green Bay Packers playoff contenders this season:

Aaron Rodgers, QB: Just turn on the film of Brett Hundley last season, and you’ll know why Rodgers is the most important player in the NFL. The Packers are built around the quarterback; coach Mike McCarthy has never shied away from that idea. If the quarterback can’t operate the offense the way it needs to be run, then the Packers have no chance. It’s nearly impossible to build a team with both a franchise quarterback and a dominant defense in the salary-cap era. The Packers have never had both during McCarthy’s tenure, and though efforts have been made to upgrade the other side of the ball, this is a quarterback-driven team.

Davante Adams, WR: Midway through last season, opposing defenses began to view Adams as the Packers’ No. 1 receiver. Now that Jordy Nelson is gone, there’s no doubt about that. Plus, the Packers are no longer deep at the position. Behind Adams and Randall Cobb are a slew of unproven receivers. Adams’ concussion history — he had two last season and another in 2016 — could be worrisome. But the Packers paid Adams like a top-tier receiver ($14.5 million per season), and their offense would take a huge hit without him.

David Bakhtiari, LT: Protecting Rodgers is of the utmost importance, and Bakhtiari is one of the league’s premier left tackles. A two-time, second-team All Pro, Bakhtiari’s absence was felt when he missed four straight games early last season because of a hamstring injury. With right tackle Bryan Bulaga (knee) unlikely to be ready for the season opener, Bakhtiari’s presence this year could be even more important.

Clay Matthews, OLB: There’s even more pressure on Matthews — and fellow outside linebacker Nick Perry — this season, given that new GM Brian Gutekunst didn’t sign an outside pass-rusher in free agency and waited until the seventh round of the draft to pick one. Although Matthews’ sack totals have dropped — he hasn’t posted a double-digit sack season since 2014 — he’s still the player most opposing offenses have to game plan around given his versatility.

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S: With the departure of Morgan Burnett, who signed with the Steelers in free agency, Clinton-Dix should become the captain of the secondary. Although his big plays dropped off last season — whose didn’t on the Packers’ scuffling defense? — he has the most big-play potential. He’s only a year removed from his five-interception, one-forced-fumble season of 2016. The former first-round pick also is in a contract year.

http://www.espn.com/blog/green-bay-packers/post/_/id/45011/aaron-rodgers-not-the-only-most-important-player-for-packers

OTAs show Ty Montgomery remains part of Packers’ plans

By Rob Demovsky, ESPN Staff Writer

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Mike McCarthy would love to see what Ty Montgomery can do if he’s healthy.

The Green Bay Packers coach still believes the receiver-turned-running back could be a matchup nightmare for defenses.

That’s why even though Montgomery has yet to prove he can avoid the injury bug, he appears to be set for another significant role in the offense. That much became evident during three weeks of OTA practices, in which Montgomery didn’t appear to lose any ground to emerging running backs Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones.

“We have to take advantage of Ty’s skills, and there’s no question about that,” McCarthy said. “The offense is suited for that.”

Montgomery opened last season as the Packers’ starter but broken ribs and a wrist injury ruined his first season as a full-time running back. The success he had during his midseason position switch in 2016, when he averaged 5.9 yards on 77 carries, never returned. He gave way to Williams and Jones, two of the three running backs the Packers drafted last year.

Williams showed workhorse ability, leading the team in both carries (153) and rushing yards (556). He tied Jones for the team lead in rushing touchdowns (four), although Jones played with more explosiveness and averaged 5.5 yards per rush. Both, however, battled knee injuries as rookies.

Neither has the versatility of Montgomery, whom McCarthy regularly describes as “multi-positional.”

“As far as the running backs, all those guys can play,” McCarthy said. “Ty’s had some incredible periods of play for us and just really what we’ve talked about since the day the season ended: No one has really gone the distance, so that’s why we’re a running back-by-committee approach, and we like all those guys. But yeah, definitely, Ty can play from the backfield and still has the ability to flex him out and get the matchups we’re looking for. We have plenty of that in the offense.”

The running back situation was one of several questions leading into the OTAs. Here are some answers to the others as the final part of the offseason program, this week’s three-day minicamp, approaches:

Kizer vs. Hundley: DeShone Kizer still has a ways to go to challenge Brett Hundley for the backup quarterback job.

However, a couple of things stood out about Kizer: He strikes an imposing figure at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, but it’s also apparent that he’s still working through some of the accuracy issues that hampered him as the Browns’ rookie starter last year.

One sign of progress came last week when he threw a perfectly placed fade to tight end Marcedes Lewis for a touchdown in a red zone period.

“He’s obviously a big body, throws the ball well,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “He’s just trying to get accustomed to our language and some of the fundamentals we teach here, but he’s picking it up great. He’s fun to have in the meetings.”

McCray and a question mark: One-half of the right side of the offensive line issue appears to be answered: Justin McCray is a virtual lock to start at right guard.

The second-year pro played all over the line last year but now has the chance to settle in at one position, and it has been a major benefit.

“The kid just keeps impressing you,” offensive line coach James Campen said. “The guy came back; he’s lived here and changed his diet. He’s been totally engaged with what coach [Mark] Lovat and the strength staff have done in that room. … The things he has done and displayed this offseason speaks volumes to where he wants to go. I think you just saw the tip of what Justin will be. The more reps and the more time he can be devoted to this profession and this just be a one-year cycle of it, I think he’s going to be a much better player.”

Ty Montgomery opened last year as the Packers’ starter but broken ribs and a wrist injury derailed his season. Jim Matthews/USA TODAY NETWORK

Right tackle, however, appears far from settled. At the last open OTA practice, Adam Pankey manned that spot with the first team. Pankey, an undrafted free agent in 2017, did not play a single snap on offense last season as a rookie. Bryan Bulaga won’t be ready for training camp — or possibly the regular season — because of his ACL recovery. Jason Spriggs is still dealing with a knee injury, and Kyle Murphy (foot) hasn’t been fully cleared. That’s why the Packers signed veteran journeyman Byron Bell last month.

Alexander, Jackson shine: The real test will come with the pads on in camp, but the Packers’ top two draft picks already have shown a penchant for finding the football.

Jaire Alexander picked off Rodgers during an open OTA, and Josh Jackson had a big pass breakup during a closed session.

“They’re talking a lot, so I’m going to have to dice them up once we get down to it,” Rodgers joked. “No, I like to see the confidence, I really do. That’s how you want your corners — to play with that swagger, that confidence. [Alexander’s] a little louder than [Jackson] is, but it’s fun to look on the other side of the ball and see those guys making plays. Now, pads are a great equalizer, so you never want to make too big of a judgment.”

Pettine’s D: One thing about new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s practices: they’re not quiet.

Pettine isn’t shy to point out mistakes, but that’s nothing compared to new linebackers coach/run game coordinator Patrick Graham. The former Giants and Patriots assistant can be heard from just about anywhere on the practice field.

“There’s a little bit of yelling at practice,” Rodgers said. The linebacker coach does a lot of yelling, actually. So that’s new, different. It’s energy, you know. It’s yelling energy, but it’s good. Change can be really good for … Anytime you’re in a situation where you’ve had the same type of things going on for a number of years, it’s nice to change it up in some positions.”

It’s all part of Pettine’s plan to hold his players accountable, something that was lacking at times under former defensive coordinator Dom Capers, according to some players.

http://www.espn.com/blog/green-bay-packers/post/_/id/45020/otas-show-ty-montgomery-remains-part-of-packers-plans