Tag: Packers

Jan 9, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard (13) and quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) celebrate together after connecting for a touchdown during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Allen Lazard happy to join Jets, awaits Aaron Rodgers

Posted on | by Field Level Media

New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard said he’s looking forward to a likely reunion with his former quarterback.

While nothing is official on the Aaron Rodgers front, the four-time NFL MVP has made his intentions known that he wants to play for the Jets in 2023.

“Obviously, standing here today, it feels good knowing that 12’s going to be my quarterback again,” Lazard said in a Zoom call with reporters on Friday.

Lazard, 27, signed a four-year, $44 million contract to join the Jets.

He caught 60 passes for 788 yards and six touchdowns in 15 starts with the Green Bay Packers in 2022. He has 169 receptions for 2,236 yards and 20 TDs in 57 games (40 starts) since signing with the Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2018.

“As a wide receiver, the best relationship you can have is with the quarterback, and the relationship I have with him has been phenomenal,” Lazard said of Rodgers. “Obviously, there’s an inclination that he’s coming here, but … after the season, after the last game, in the locker room, I mentioned how I have to worry about myself and take care of what’s best for me and I can’t worry about other people.

“Me and my decision coming here was purely based off that and making sure that I’m doing what’s best for my career. Obviously, him being here, it definitely helps the entire organization to be able to take that next step, make a deep playoff run and go win that Lombardi Trophy.”

Lazard admitted Friday that he felt the Packers showed little interest in welcoming him back.

“They didn’t seem like they were going to miss me too much,” he said.

Lazard joins a wide receivers room that includes Garrett Wilson, Elijah Moore, Corey Davis and Denzel Mims.

He also will be reunited with Nathaniel Hackett, who was hired as the Jets offensive coordinator after being fired as head coach of the Denver Broncos in December. Hackett was the OC in Green Bay from 2019-21.

–Field Level Media

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers runs out on to the field as he is announced against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. Usp Nfl Detroit Lions At Green Bay Packers S Fbn Gb Det Usa Wi

Aaron Rodgers says he wants to play for Jets in 2023

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers said Wednesday on “The Pat McAfee Show” that he intends to play for the New York Jets this upcoming season.

“At this point as I sit here, I think, since Friday, I made it clear that my intention was to play, and my intention was to play for the New York Jets,” Rodgers said. “I haven’t been holding anything up at this point, it’s been compensation that the Packers are trying to get. … The Packers would like to move on, they have let me know that in so many words, and have let other people know that in direct words.”

Rodgers, 39, admitted Wednesday that felt he was 90 percent certain that he was retiring when he went on a four-day darkness treat to contemplate his future. The quarterback then said he felt something changed within the Packers’ stance toward him, and he wished the team was more direct with him at the onset of the offseason.

Per ESPN, Rodgers reportedly supplied the Jets with a wish list of free agents that he’d like the Jets to pursue and acquire.

Per the report, Rodgers would like the Jets to turn their attention to wideout Odell Beckham Jr., as well as Green Bay Packers wide receivers Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb and tight end Marcedes Lewis.

The Jets got to work on that checklist Tuesday afternoon by working to finalize a four-year, $44 million deal with Lazard, The Score and NFL Network reported.

“Because I still have that fire and I want to play and I want to play in New York, it’s just a matter of getting that done at this point,” Rodgers said.

–Field Level Media

Jan 9, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) celebrates with wide receiver Allen Lazard (13) after the pair connect for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Friends of Aaron? Jets target WRs Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb

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The New York Jets reportedly want to make Aaron Rodgers feel at home and are eyeing two of his favorite targets in free agency.

With the Green Bay quarterback widely expected to join the Jets in a trade, multiple outlets said Tuesday that New York is close to a deal with Allen Lazard and ESPN said fellow Packers receiver Randall Cobb is “on their radar.”

New Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett worked with all three players when he held the same position in Green Bay from 2019-21.

Lazard, 27, caught 60 passes for 788 yards and six touchdowns in 15 starts in 2022. He has 169 receptions for 2,236 yards and 20 TDs in 57 games (40 starts) since signing with the Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2018.

Cobb, 32, recorded 34 receptions for 417 yards and one score in 13 games (three starts) for Green Bay in 2022. He has 625 catches for 7,585 yards and 53 TDs in 155 games (87 starts) with Green Bay (2011-18, 2021-22), the Dallas Cowboys (2019) and Houston Texans (2020).

Pro Football Network reported Monday that the deal to send Rodgers to the Jets “is done.”

No trades for players under contract can be made official until the first day of the NFL league year on Wednesday.

–Field Level Media

Aaron Rodgers and the Packers had a brutal showing against the Jets at legendary Lambeau Field. Nfl New York Jets At Green Bay Packers

Report: Deal sending Aaron Rodgers to Jets is ‘done’

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When the NFL’s new league year begins Wednesday afternoon, it appears likelier than ever that Aaron Rodgers will be traded to the New York Jets.

While Rodgers has remained coy about his own decision-making timeline, Pro Football Network reported Monday that “Rodgers to the Jets is done.”

Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year while catching passes from Zach Wilson, Joe Flacco and Mike White, chimed in shortly afterward.

“I can finally enjoy my vacay now,” he tweeted from the island of Saint Barthelemy, following that up with, “Y’all (should) see this smile on me (right now).”

Other media outlets were more conservative Monday, with ESPN reporting the Jets were “cautiously optimistic” that Rodgers would agree to be traded.

Talks between the two parties have been ongoing for days. Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy confirmed Friday that the team granted Rodgers permission to speak with the Jets about a deal that would put the four-time NFL MVP in Gotham Green.

The Jets visited Rodgers, 39, in California last week, and reports Wednesday indicated there was optimism New York was “on the verge” of acquiring Rodgers.

The Jets then restructured the contracts of cornerback DJ Reed, guard Laken Tomlinson and tight end Tyler Conklin to save $15.2 million of cap space in 2023. Rodgers’ cap charge for 2023 nearly matches that amount: $15.74 million.

No trades for players under contract can be made official until the first day of the NFL league year.

–Field Level Media

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) runs out on to the field as he is announced against the Detroit Lions during their football game Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Apc Packvsdetroit 0108230308djpa

Packers president confirms Jets-Aaron Rodgers talks

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Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy confirmed quarterback Aaron Rodgers was granted permission to discuss a potential trade with the New York Jets.

Murphy, speaking during the Wisconsin girls high school state championship games, said only the Jets received the green light to meet with Rodgers. No other teams are in the picture at this time, he said.

Rodgers said all parties are hopeful a resolution to the Rodgers situation can be reached before March 15, the official start of free agency.

Murphy said the Packers are willing to oblige Rodgers’ request for a trade “if he wants it.” He was also asked if there’s a scenario under which Rodgers returns to the Packers as the team’s starting quarterback.

“Yeah, I mean unless, if things don’t work out the way we want them, yeah, we would,” Murphy said. “He is obviously a great player.”

Rodgers, 39, signed a three-year, $150 million contract before the 2022 season. He considered retirement and relocation at that time, but played for the Packers.

A four-time NFL MVP, Rodgers met with the Packers two days after the end of the regular season in January. General manager Brian Gutekunst said at the NFL Scouting Combine that he hasn’t had a chance to continue conversations with Rodgers.

Since those comments, the Jets visited Rodgers in California on Monday and reports Wednesday indicated there was optimism New York was “on the verge” of acquiring Rodgers.

No trades for players under contract can be made official until March 15, the first day of the NFL league year.

Gutekunst said Rodgers’ backup, Jordan Love, is “ready to play, needs to play.”

The Packers drafted Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

–Field Level Media

(File photo) The Jets are working to acquire Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12), pictured in a joint training camp as New York head coach Robert Saleh (center) looks on.

Report: Jets believe they’re close to landing Aaron Rodgers

Posted on | by Field Level Media

If the Jets find the answer to the $59.5 million question, Aaron Rodgers will be the next quarterback for the franchise.

According to ESPN and the New York Post, the Jets returned home from their visit with Rodgers optimistic his next stop will be New York.

All that stands in the way of a trade that could become official no earlier than March 15 at 4 p.m. ET is a trade amenable to the Green Bay Packers and a contract workable for the Jets.

Rodgers signed a three-year, $150 million deal prior to the 2022 season, ending aggressive flirtation with retirement. That contract calls for a fully guaranteed $59.5 million in 2023, with $58.3 million as an option bonus.

Rodgers said in February he would expect to restructure the deal if he played another season for the Packers.

Green Bay would take a cap hit of $40.3 million if Rodgers is traded without adjusting the deal, or pushing the bonus to a split structure.

If he’s traded to any team, including the Jets, under terms of his current deal, Rodgers would count only $15.8 million against his new team’s cap in 2023 and $32.5 million in 2024.

A trade for Rodgers could be executed on the first day of the NFL league year, March 15. Similar deals in recent years involving Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions to Los Angeles Rams), Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks to Denver Broncos) and Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans to Cleveland Browns) brought significant draft capital in return.

Rodgers was named NFL MVP in 2011, 2014, 2020 and 2021, but his 2022 numbers weren’t up to his own standards as the Packers rebuilt his receiving corps and dealt with injuries on the offensive line. He completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 3,695 yards and 26 touchdowns while tossing 12 interceptions.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said last week at the NFL Scouting Combine that the team was waiting to hear from Rodgers about his 2023 plans. He also said the Packers knew backup Jordan Love was “ready to play and needs to play.”

Love is entering the final year of his four-year rookie contract with the Packers facing a May deadline to pick up his fifth-year option for the 2024 season.

–Field Level Media

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers tries to escape Jets defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins during the first half of their game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Oct. 16, 2022. Syndication Journal Sentinel

Reports: Jets, Aaron Rodgers huddle with Packers’ permission

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Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets were in contact Tuesday morning with permission from the Green Bay Packers, per multiple reports.

ESPN and longtime Packers reporter Bob McGinn said the end of the line has arrived for the Packers and Rodgers, with McGinn citing team sources that the front office already has decided to move on from the four-time MVP quarterback.

Rodgers, 39, has direct ties to Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who was hired in January.

A trade for Rodgers could be executed on the first day of the NFL league year, March 15. Similar deals in recent years involving Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions to Los Angeles Rams), Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks to Denver Broncos) and Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans to Cleveland Browns) brought significant draft capital in return.

Rodgers was named NFL MVP in 2011, 2014, 2020 and 2021, but his 2022 numbers weren’t up to his own standards as the Packers rebuilt his receiving corps and dealt with injuries on the offensive line. He completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 3,695 yards and 26 touchdowns while tossing 12 interceptions.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said last week at the NFL Scouting Combine that the team was waiting to hear from Rodgers about his 2023 plans. He also said the Packers knew backup Jordan Love was “ready to play and needs to play.”

The Jets made “veteran quarterback” a top priority in the offseason at the direction of team owner Woody Johnson. Johnson said the need was the “missing piece” after New York pushed for a playoff spot behind a youth movement that included NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Sauce Gardner and Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson.

Under terms of his existing contract, Rodgers is scheduled to make $58.3 million in 2023 as part of a three-year, $150 million contract he signed last year.

Rodgers spent four days on a “darkness retreat” in Oregon, confined to a 300-square foot dwelling that was partially underground, in February. He said the point of the exercise was to be alone with his thoughts, to find full clarity and peace, and calibrate his emotions.

“There’s a finality to the decision. I don’t make it lightly,” he said on a podcast last week. “I don’t want to drag anybody around. I’m answering questions about it because I got asked about it. I’m talking about it because it’s important to me. If you don’t like it and you think it’s drama, and you think I’m being a diva or whatever, then just tune it out. That’s fine. But this is my life. It’s important to me. I’ll make a decision soon enough and we’ll go down that road. I’ll be really excited about it.”

Hackett was a first-time head coach with the Denver Broncos last season. He was fired in December.

The Packers traded Brett Favre to the Jets in 2008, clearing the way for Rodgers to start. Favre announced his retirement in March, but reversed the decision in June.

–Field Level Media

Jan 8, 2023; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb (18) and quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) leave the field together after losing to the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Dan Powers/Appleton Post-Crescent via USA TODAY NETWORK

Report: Packers WR Randall Cobb underwent ankle surgery

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Green Bay Packers receiver Randall Cobb recently underwent ankle surgery, NFL Network reported Friday.

The procedure was a cleaning-out and designed to “fix a persisting issue,” according to the report.

Cobb is about to come a free agent and it remains unclear if the Packers will pursue retaining him. It may hinge on whether veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers returns to Green Bay, as Rodgers lobbied for the team to sign Cobb for a second tour of duty prior to the 2021 campaign.

Cobb, 32, caught 34 passes for 417 yards and one touchdown in 13 games (three starts) last season. He injured the ankle in mid-October and was placed on injured reserve before returning to action in Week 11.

Cobb has 625 receptions for 7,585 yards with 53 touchdowns in 155 career games (87 starts) for the Packers (2011-18, 2021-2022), Dallas Cowboys (2019) and Houston Texans (2020). He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2014 when he set career bests of 91 receptions, 1,287 yards and 12 scoring receptions.

–Field Level Media

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers runs out on to the field as he is announced against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. Usp Nfl Detroit Lions At Green Bay Packers S Fbn Gb Det Usa Wi

Unapologetic Aaron Rodgers promises decision ‘soon enough’

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Aaron Rodgers plans to deliver a decision about his 2023 plans “soon enough” he said on a podcast with Aubrey Marcus released Wednesday.

Rodgers, 39, met with the Packers two days after the end of the regular season in January. General manager Brian Gutekunst said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine that he hasn’t had a chance to continue conversations with Rodgers.

The Packers’ quarterback recalled as a cautionary tale the premature retirement of Brett Favre, which happened on March 6 in large part because Green Bay management wanted his decision before the start of free agency. Favre didn’t have a final decision, he would later say, but retired and then decided he wanted to continue playing. The Packers traded Favre to the New York Jets.

“It’s best for anybody who has an interest in this to make a decision sooner rather than later,” Rodgers said on the podcast. “I remember before Favre retired, there were times in April and May, we weren’t sure if he was going to come back because he didn’t come to any of the offseason program. Then in 2008, he actually did retire in March and then said, ‘No, no, no,’ in June after OTAs, ‘I actually want to come back and play. That’s when he was traded to the Jets. There was obviously a lot of tension that summer.

“For everybody involved directly or indirectly, it’s best for a decision earlier. I feel really good about the conversations that are going to be had, that have been had with important people in my life. Yourself included. But I’m not looking for somebody to tell me what the answer is. All the answers are right inside me. I touched many of the feelings on both sides in the darkness. I’m thankful for that time.”

Rodgers spent four days on a “darkness retreat” in Oregon, confined to a 300-square foot dwelling that was partially underground. He said the point of the exercise was to be alone with his thoughts, to find full clarity and peace and calibrate his emotions.

“There’s a finality to the decision. I don’t make it lightly,” he said on the podcast. “I don’t want to drag anybody around. I’m answering questions about it because I got asked about it. I’m talking about it because it’s important to me. If you don’t like it and you think it’s drama, and you think I’m being a diva or whatever, then just tune it out. That’s fine. But this is my life. It’s important to me. I’ll make a decision soon enough and we’ll go down that road. I’ll be really excited about it.”

Rodgers previously stated he was aware his current contract with the Packers would need to be renegotiated because of a fully guaranteed salary of $59.465 million for 2023.

Gutekunst said Tuesday that backup Jordan Love, who is in the precise position Rodgers was in during the Favre career deliberations, is “ready to play; needs to play.”

–Field Level Media

Green Bay Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst talks to the media about the 2022 NFL Draft on April 25, 2022, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Gpg Gutekunst 042522 Sk23

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst: ‘All options on table’ with Aaron Rodgers

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Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst is ready and waiting, but hasn’t heard from Aaron Rodgers since they met two days after the regular season ended in January.

Rodgers’ future is the wildcard looming over the offseason for the Packers and other teams hopeful that he could decide to play next season outside of Green Bay.

Gutekunst said he hopes to have a decision from Rodgers on his 2023 plans before the start of free agency on March 15.

“He’s a great player, but until we have those conversations, I think all options are on the table,” Gutekunst said. “We need to have those conversations. We want what’s best for the Green Bay Packers, what’s best for him so we’ll get to that coming up.”

Conversations with other teams have taken place, Gutekunst said, but none specific to trading the Packers’ 39-year-old franchise quarterback.

“I have conversations with teams all the time. I’ve talked to a lot of different teams about a lot of different things, but actually talking about trades — not yet,” Gutekunst said.

Rodgers’ backup, Jordan Love, is being apprised of any developments and decisions by Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur. Gutekunst said Love is ready to be a starting quarterback and keenly interested in the direction the team and Rodgers plan to go this spring.

“That communication has been pretty constant,” he said.

LaFleur is not meeting with media this week but instead stayed in Green Bay with his coaching staff while entrusting the scouting department to navigate all things at the NFL Scouting Combine.

The Packers are working on restructured contracts with left tackle David Bakhtiari and nose tackle Kenny Clark, Gutekunst said.

–Field Level Media