Aaron Rodgers has agreed to terms on a four-year, $200million contract extension with the Green Bay Packers to make him the highest-paid player in NFL history.
The quarterback's future had been the subject of much speculation, with the four-time MVP non-committal on whether he would return to Green Bay for the 2022 season having entered the 2021 campaign in the wake of a stand-off with the Packers after his desire to leave was reported on the opening night of last year's draft.
A move elsewhere and retirement both seemed to be options on the table for Rodgers, who won a second successive MVP by leading the Packers to a NFL-best 13-4 record last season.
But relations between Rodgers and the Packers at the end of the season appeared more amiable than they were back in April of 2021.
Rodgers told The Pat McAfee show of his conversations with the franchise after the Packers' playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers: "I would say the meetings were much different than they've been in the past, in a positive way, and that there were some real, honest conversations that I appreciated."
Green Bay's hiring of Tom Clements, who worked with Rodgers and the Packers from 2006 to 2016, as their quarterbacks coach for 2022 pointed towards him staying at Lambeau Field.
And Rodgers will now likely end his career where it started after agreeing to a deal worth $50m annually that keeps him under contract with the team for the next five seasons.
With the burning issue of the offseason resolved, Green Bay's attention will likely turn to keeping Rodgers' favourite target, wide receiver Davante Adams, on the roster and preventing him testing unrestricted free agency as the Packers plot a way to get over the hump after coming up short in the postseason yet again.
Having ended his staring contest with the Packers and reported for training camp, Rodgers' 2021 campaign was partly defined by controversy after a positive coronavirus test revealed previous misleading statements about his vaccination status, while his spread of misinformation regarding vaccines has unquestionably damaged his reputation.
On the field, he did not quite reach the heights of his magical 2020, but he still finished the regular season with 37 passing touchdowns to just four interceptions, giving him the best touchdown to interception ratio in the NFL.
Among quarterbacks with 200 passing attempts, only Justin Herbert (2.30) threw a lower percentage of interceptable passes than Rodgers (2.36).
No quarterback delivered a higher ratio of throws that resulted in a first down than Rodgers, who did so on 40.1 per cent of his attempts, while he was second in passer rating on third down (112.2) behind Kyler Murray (118.5) among quarterbacks with at least 50 attempts in that situation.
However, Rodgers was shackled by the 49ers' defense in the playoffs as the Packers went one and done, losing 13-10 in the Divisional Round in an all too familiar tale for Green Bay.
Since Rodgers led the Packers to glory in Super Bowl XLV at the end of the 2010 season, they have reached the Divisional Round of the playoffs eight times but have never returned to the Super Bowl.
Now, the 38-year-old has until the end fo the 2026 season to change that fact.
Raiders rule out Garoppolo for game against Chargers due to concussion
The Las Vegas Raiders have ruled Jimmy Garoppolo out for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers because of a concussion.
Who gets the start at quarterback is still uncertain less than 24 hours before kickoff.
Garoppolo practised on a limited basis Thursday and Friday but has not cleared the league's concussion protocol and Las Vegas announced Saturday night that he would not play.
The Raiders did not say who would start between veteran Brian Hoyer or rookie Aidan O'Connell.
Garoppolo played every snap in last Sunday's 23-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but was evaluated for a concussion afterward.
The concussion is the latest setback for the 31-year-old Garoppolo, who has struggled to stay healthy over the past several seasons.
Las Vegas signed Garoppolo to a three-year, $67.5 million contract in March, including $34 million guaranteed, but the 10-year veteran is off to a shaky start with his new team. He has thrown for 709 yards with five touchdowns and six interceptions for the 1-2 Raiders.
Hoyer is a 15-year veteran and is 16-24 in 40 career starts. In 77 career games, the 37-year-old has thrown for 10,668 yards with 53 TDs and 35 interceptions.
The Raiders also said starting cornerback Nate Hobbs won't play because of an injured ankle, while running back Brandon Bolden is expected to play despite not travelling with the team to Los Angeles because of a personal reason.
Raiders release defensive end Chandler Jones after arrest
The Las Vegas Raiders released Chandler Jones on Saturday, less than 48 hours after the defensive end’s arrest.
The club confirmed the move with a post on social media.
Jones, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, has been away from the team since before this season after a flurry of social media posts criticising the team’s leadership. He was placed on the non-football injury/illness list on Sept. 20.
Jones was in the second season of a three-year, $51million contract.
Jones’ arrest was the latest in a series of concerning developments that led to the Raiders cutting ties with the veteran sack artist.
Jones said on social media Monday that he had been hospitalised and taken to a behavioural health facility “against my will.”
The 33-year-old continued his concerning and bizarre social media activity throughout the week, including multiple live videos.
In one video, Jones spoke about a variety of topics for about 25 minutes before breaking down in tears while discussing the death of former teammate Aaron Hernandez.
Jones has since deleted those posts and said that his account had been hacked.
Early Friday morning, Vegas-area police arrested Jones on accusations of violating a domestic violence temporary restraining order. He was detained at the Clark County Detention Center before paying his $15,000 bail.
There has been a wave of growing concern about Jones’ mental health, given his erratic behaviour.
After Jones’ arrest, the Raiders posted a statement on social media saying they are “hopeful that Chandler Jones receives the care that he needs. He, his family, and all those involved are in our thoughts. As this is now a legal matter, we will not be providing further comment.”
Jones has 112 career sacks over 11 seasons with the New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals and Raiders.
Travis Etienne keen to ‘put on great show’ on Jacksonville Jaguars’ London trip
Star running back Travis Etienne wants to “put on a great show” as the Jacksonville Jaguars make NFL history by playing back-to-back games in London.
The UK has long been a home away from home for the Florida franchise, who are breaking new ground by becoming the first team to play two regular season games outside of the United States.
The Jaguars kick off the 2023 International Games on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley – their 10th game in England as part of a multi-year commitment to play in the region.
Doug Pederson’s side remain in London to face the Buffalo Bills at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next weekend as part of an unprecedented 10-day stay that the talented Etienne is relishing.
View this post on Instagram“I feel this could be a time for us to rally together and just kind of grow, continue to build and just come together as a team,” the 24-year-old running back told the PA news agency.
“When we leave there, I want them to know the Jaguars were here, and we put on a great show and they can’t wait to see us again.
“I feel like it’s going to be an exciting time in London.”
It is a decade since the Jags first played in England and owner Shahid Khan told PA last year that the “goal is for London and the UK to always be a part of the Jacksonville Jaguars identity”.
Khan also said “we’ve been clear in our commitment to play a home game in London every year”, with Etienne getting his first taste of it in last October’s Wembley loss to the Denver Broncos.
“I really became aware of that (fanaticism) last year when I took my first trip out there to play the game,” he said of the 21-17 defeat in which he scored a touchdown.
“It was a tremendous experience for me just being in London for the first time and having a chance to go out there and showcase my skillset to the world.
“I took a loss on my first trip, so this trip I want to leave win a win.
“It’ll make me feel so much better and then have an opportunity to get two wins is going to be awesome.”
Last year’s London loss came during a five-game losing streak – the lowest point in a season that ended with the AFC South crown and stunning wild-card comeback win in a playoff run that ended in the divisional round.
It was quite the turnaround for a team that had recorded the NFL’s worst regular season record in the previous two seasons and led to heightened expectations this time around.
The Jags have begun 2023 sluggishly and are hoping to get back in the groove in London following losses to the Kansas City Chiefs and, more alarmingly, the unfancied Houston Texans.
“This was only week three and we have 14 more games ahead of us, so we can’t let this bleed into other games,” Etienne said.
“We have to understand that this is not last season. We have to put last season to bed.
“We have to focus on this season because the reality of the situation is we’re 1-2 right now and we haven’t been very good this season.
“Last season means nothing. If anything, last year put a target on our back so we’re going to get everybody’s best shot, so we have to go out there and give everybody our best shot each and every day we step on that field.”
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
