Aaron Rodgers made headlines Tuesday for criticising the Green Bay Packers young wide receivers. A day later, the legendary quarterback met with the wideouts to work with them and get everyone on the same page.

Rodgers and fellow Packer quarterbacks Jordan Love and Danny Etling, along with members of the offensive coaching staff met in the quarterback meeting room Wednesday morning with the wide receivers.

"Aaron spoke to us about what he likes or what not just based on concepts or what he sees," rookie receiver Romeo Doubs said.

"He just wants us to see what he sees. So then that way we can be able to react faster, play faster and just be able to dominate and continue to be who we are."

Doubs had a bad drop Tuesday in the Packers’ joint practice with the New Orleans Saints, prompting Rodgers to call out the young receivers.

"The young guys, especially young receivers, we've got to be way more consistent," Rodgers said on Tuesday.

"A lot of drops, a lot of bad route decisions, running the wrong route. We've got to get better in that area."

Rodgers did not call Wednesday’s meeting but reportedly did plenty of talking during it to try to build chemistry.

"It was just really giving us advice," rookie receiver Samori Toure said. "Basically, letting us know that the Green Bay receiving corps has always been held to a super-high standard.

"All the legends who have been through here. It's just about us carrying on that standard and stepping up."

For the first time since 2013, Rodgers and the Packers open a season without Davante Adams after the five-time Pro Bowl receiver was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in March.

In 2021, Adams was second in the NFL in receptions (123), third in receiving yards (1,553) and fifth in receiving touchdowns (11).

Allen Lazard (40 receptions, 513 receiving yards, 8 receiving touchdowns in 2021) and Randall Cobb (38 receptions, 375 yards, 5 TDs) now take over as Rodgers’ primary targets, and both also spoke during the meeting.

"Both Randall and Allen have been playing with 12 for quite a long time so certain things that we do, that we may have a mistake on, just from experience they've went through that same stage as well," Doubs said.

"Just them picking up the young guys throughout these dog days of camp has been a tremendous blessing and great piece of advice."

The message seemed to resonate with the young receivers as both Toure and Doubs caught touchdown passes in Wednesday's scrimmage with the Saints.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers sent Tom Brady birthday wishes, but left little room for doubt over his intention to retire before the age of 45.

Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion, turned 45 on Wednesday. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB retired in February, but reversed that decision just 40 days later and is now set for his 23rd straight season in the NFL.

Rodgers, meanwhile, is ready to go again with the Packers after signing a bumper contract back in March. The 38-year-old was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player for 2021, winning the award for a second year running and a fourth time overall.

But when asked if he planned on matching Brady by playing until he is 45, 38-year-old Rodgers told reporters bluntly: "No. Happy birthday [to Brady]."

Brady topped the charts for touchdown passes last regular-season, recording 43 from 17 games, though Rodgers boasted a better pass completion percentage (68.9 – the third-best in the league) and the NFL's best TD percentage (7.0).

Aaron Rodgers has backed Allen Lazard to be the number one wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers in the forthcoming NFL season and fill the void left by Davante Adams' departure.

For the first time in his 18-year career, Rodgers heads into the season without a recognised starring man to target following Adams' move to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Lazard is the favourite to step up in the 2022 season, having hauled in 21 receptions for 290 yards and scored five touchdowns in the five matches at the end of the regular 2021 season.

Quarterback Rodgers thinks the 26-year-old can make a big impact.

"When you walk in the locker room for so many years and you see 87's locker, that's Jordy Nelson. You see Davante Adams. It gives you a different feel. You just kind of know that you got that guy," he said during a news conference.

"We have some opportunities for some guys to step into that role.

"I think Allen is ready to make a jump and be a number one wide receiver. [I'm] excited about the opportunity to work with him.

"He's capable of a lot.  Since his first day, he's turned heads. He's been working hard. He has a lot to prove to himself I like a hungry Allen Lazard."

The Packers' offense has undergone a major reshuffle ahead of the new season, losing Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency and bringing in Sammy Watkins, as well as drafting three wide receivers.

Rodgers is pleased with the options he has to throw to as the Packers look to make the playoffs for the fourth season in a row.

"Allen sets the standard. Randall [Cobb] sets the standard. The young guys have to pay attention," he added.

"There is a lot of talent in that room for sure, and a lot of motivation for some of the comments that's been sent that room's way. I like what we did on day one."

The Packers face the San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs in pre-season, before kicking off the new campaign at the Minnesota Vikings on September 11.

Green Bay Packers All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari barely played last season, and there’s no telling when he’ll be healthy enough to take the field this coming season after he had another procedure on his left knee.

The latest procedure would be at least the third known surgery since Bakhtiari suffered a torn left ACL on New Year’s Eve 2020.

Bakhtiari has played just one game since the original injury, and that came in the regular-season finale at Detroit on January 9 before he was shut down for the playoffs. He was placed on the physically unable to perform list Wednesday as the Packers opened training camp.

Bakhtiari attended the Packers’ offseason program but did not practice, and instead worked off to the side with the rest of the players rehabbing injuries.

''It's a nightmare, my nightmare that I have to live,'' Bakhtiari said. ''I don't know how many days it's been, but I'm just excited to wake up (from the nightmare) one day.''

The Packers remain hopeful that Bakhtiari will be ready for the season opener at Minnesota on September 11.

''I think we're cautiously optimistic,'' general manager Brian Gutekunst said.

Clearly, the Packers are going to take a cautious approach with Bakhtiari, who was playing well enough to earn first-team All-Pro honours for a second time when he originally hurt the knee. His first surgery came after the 2020 season, before the second procedure to reduce swelling in the knee during the 2021 regular season.

''Everyone loves timelines,'' Bakhtiari said. ''When I'm ready, I'll be out there. What I can say is I do feel really good. I really like –  I feel normal.

"My knee feels normal and that's the biggest plus. Now it's just getting that normal feeling again when I play football, so that's what it is, the load, stress, strength, but we're not really in an ACL issue. That's actually been a long time ago that we put that chapter to bed.''

With Bakhtiari unavailable for either of Green Bay's past two playoff losses, the Packers allowed five sacks in each of those games.

Green Bay faces the possibility of opening this season without its two best offensive linemen. Elgton Jenkins is also attempting to come back from an ACL tear he suffered on November 21 against Minnesota.

The reigning Super Bowl champions will kick off the NFL season in Thursday night's primetime slot on September 8, as the Los Angeles Rams host this season's Super Bowl favourites, the Buffalo Bills.

There will be plenty of the Rams in this season's marquee timeslots as the full 2022-23 schedule was released on Thursday, including a Monday night fixture against the Green Bay Packers in week 15, and a Christmas Day game against Russell Wilson's Denver Broncos six days later.

The Broncos will not have to wait long for their first eyebrow-raising matchup, travelling to take on Wilson's former team, the Seattle Seahawks, in the first Monday night fixture of the season.

Week one's third primetime game sees Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers heading to 'Jerry World' to take on the Dallas Cowboys.

Patrick Mahomes – the man with the richest contract in the sport – will get his first primetime appearance of the season in week two's Thursday night showdown, as his Kansas City Chiefs host arguably Mahomes' only competition for best young quarterback, taking on Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers.

Four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers gets the Sunday night fixture in week two against the Packers' long-time rivals as the Chicago Bears come to town, and his week three matchup against Brady's Bucs will be must-see TV.

The Rams have the toughest strength-of-schedule based on their opponents' 2021-22 records (164-125, .567 winning percentage), while the Cowboys and the Washington Commanders are tied for the easiest schedule (133-155-1, .462 winning percentage).

Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions will be the only team in NFL this season to not have a primetime game.

The complete week one schedule features:

Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Rams (Thursday night)

New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons (Sunday afternoon)

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins

Baltimore Ravens at New York Jets

Cleveland Browns at Carolina Panthers

Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions 

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals 

Jacksonville Jaguars at Washington Commanders

San Francisco 49ers at Chicago Bears

Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans 

New York Giants at Tennessee Titans (Sunday late-afternoon)

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings

Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers 

Kansas City Chiefs at Arizona Cardinals 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys (Sunday night)

Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks (Monday night)

The Green Bay Packers traded up to the 34th pick – the second selection of Friday's second round – to select wide receiver Christian Watson.

Watson, 22, measures in at 6'4 and clocked an eye-opening 4.36 40-yard dash, while flashing a 38-inch vertical leap, dispelling concerns about the low level of competition he faced playing at North Dakota State.

With the Bison, Watson scored a touchdown in seven of the first nine games of the season on the way to an FCS Championship.

He comes from the same school as quarterback Carson Wentz, who was selected number two overall in the 2016 draft.

At pick 34, Watson becomes the highest-drafted receiver by the Packers since Javon Walker was taken with the 20th selection of the 2002 NFL Draft.

With arguably the best receiver in the entire league, Davante Adams, leaving the Packers this offseason to join the Las Vegas Raiders, Watson is projected to fill a significant role as one of Aaron Rodgers' primary options.

Aaron Rodgers has revealed he was caught out by Davante Adams' departure from the Green Bay Packers, but he was not surprised by the team's activity on the first night of the NFL Draft.

Rodgers' Packers future was the subject of speculation for two straight years before he committed to his only professional team this offseason.

However, two days after his new $150million deal was made official, Rodgers saw leading wide receiver Adams traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, where he landed his own big contract.

Rodgers threw 68 touchdown passes to Adams from 615 receptions on 922 targets – each his most to any team-mate in his Packers career.

Indeed, since Rodgers came into the NFL in 2005, there have been only four more prolific quarterback-receiver duos in terms of TDs – Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski (90), Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates (89), Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown (74), Drew Brees and Marques Colston (72) – despite Adams only himself entering the league in 2014.

And in an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show following the first round of the draft, Rodgers acknowledged he had anticipated continuing this link-up into 2022.

"It was a little surprising with Davante," he said. "Obviously, when I made my decision, I was still thinking he was going to come back.

"I was very honest with him about my plans and my future and where I saw my career going, as far as how many years I want to play.

"But I felt like he was going to be back. It didn't obviously turn out that way, but I have so much love for 'Te and appreciate the time we spent together and definitely wish him the best in Derek [Carr] in Vegas. But that's a big hole to fill."

It had been expected the Packers, armed with two first-round picks following the Adams trade, would draft at least one receiver to plug that hole on Thursday.

Instead, Green Bay took linebacker Quay Walker and defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt.

However, Rodgers, who was famously infuriated in previous seasons by the team's draft-day decisions, including selecting his understudy Jordan Love in round one in 2020, remained relaxed.

"I believe it was six receivers they had first-round grades on," he said, "and when they were gone, I think it was pretty obvious they wanted to shore up those two spots [on defense]."

The alternative option for the Packers would have been a big trade of their own for a ready-made star, with A.J. Brown and Marquise Brown moved on Thursday while Deebo Samuel remains on the San Francisco 49ers.

"I think we've been in the mix with some of these guys," Rodgers said. "That's what it seems like.

"Now, there's not a lot of teams that probably want to trade receivers to Green Bay. I think we're probably at the back of the line for a lot of these teams as far as our picks are usually late and nobody wants to trade in the [NFC]... a guy like Deebo, probably.

"But at the same time, I think if you're not going to pay Davante — obviously we traded him, he wanted to move on — but going out and paying another guy... I don't know if that makes a ton of sense.

"Now, there are some veteran guys out there that I think could be possibilities, and also we have two picks in the second round tomorrow, and I'm sure there are some guys on the board that they probably like.

"Yeah, I feel like we've been in the mix, but does San Fran want to trade Deebo Samuel to us? Probably not."

The Match will return in 2022 and this time it will pit two of the NFL's greatest quarterbacks of all time against two well on their way to assuming the same title.

Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady were on opposing teams in The Match IV last year, Rodgers and Bryson DeChambeau beating Brady and Phil Mickelson, but the two future Hall of Famers will team up this time around.

Indeed, Brady and Rodgers will face off against two quarterbacks who are rapidly developing a compelling rivalry of their own on the field in Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills.

Mahomes and Allen faced off in one of the best playoff games in NFL history last season as the Chiefs fought back to beat the Bills in the AFC Divisional Round 42-36 in overtime, Kansas City having led a game-tying field goal drive in just 13 seconds to force the extra period.

There is no doubt they are the future of the NFL, but the June 1 meeting in Las Vegas with Brady and Rodgers will mark the first time their golf game will be on show for a worldwide audience.

Announcing the matchup on Twitter, Brady made it clear he and Rodgers are ready to strike a blow for the NFL's old guard.

He wrote: "We tried to make this a tag team cage match but the lawyers said our contracts wouldn't allow it… #CapitalOnesTheMatch is back, June 1st. Let's kick their a**."

Marquez Valdes-Scantling is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to link up with Patrick Mahomes on the Kansas City Chiefs, even if he had to think long and hard about leaving Aaron Rodgers' Green Bay Packers. 

Valdes-Scantling became a free agent after the 2021 NFL season and followed fellow Packers receiver Davante Adams out of Green Bay. 

Like Adams, Valdes-Scantling ended up in the AFC West, tasked with helping to fill the void left by Tyreek Hill after he departed the Chiefs for the Miami Dolphins. 

Rather than be daunted by the prospect of filling in for a six-time Pro Bowler, though, Valdes-Scantling revealed he only considered the Chiefs when Hill was traded. 

The 27-year-old had spent his entire time with the Packers playing second fiddle to Adams, averaging 4.2 targets per game across his NFL career while his team-mate enjoyed 10.8 targets per game over that period. 

Valdes-Scantling was used in recent years almost solely as a deep-ball threat, leading all NFL receivers with 50 or more targets in consecutive seasons in terms of depth of target – 17.6 yards downfield on average in 2021, slightly down on 18.3 yards in 2020. 

Hill's departure means Mahomes will have to look elsewhere for a downfield option, but Valdes-Scantling might see an opportunity to have a more prominent role in Kansas City. 

"Kansas City really wasn't on my radar [at first]," he told reporters on Friday. "My agent called me and said, 'Tyreek may be traded out of there. Would you be interested in hearing what they have to say?' And I said, 'Yeah, 100 per cent.' 

"I'd been talking to a bunch of teams for a week, just kind of weeding everything out, trying to make the best decision, doing a lot of praying about it. 

"The opportunity came and I said, 'Of course I'd be interested, I'd love to play with Pat.'" 

Each of the 13 touchdown passes Valdes-Scantling has caught to date have been thrown by four-time MVP Rodgers, but Mahomes is one of the few rival quarterbacks capable of operating at the same level. 

"Obviously, me and Aaron have a great relationship," the receiver said. "It was really tough to even walk away. 

"I still had that opportunity on the table to go in and play with him for the rest of his career – whether that would be one year, two, three or however long he decides to go in and play. 

"I walked away from that opportunity and walked into one with a very similar quarterback. Obviously, talent-wise, they've both been MVPs, both won Super Bowls, so obviously both are [excellent] football players. 

"I just think that having this opportunity to build something long-term with Pat is going to be life-changing." 

The Green Bay Packers have agreed to trade superstar wide receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders for a package centred around draft picks.

Adams, 29, is arguably the best player at one of the sport's most important positions, establishing himself as Aaron Rodgers' primary target since arriving in the 2014 NFL Draft. 

Leading the league in receiving touchdowns in 2020 (18), Adams has posted combined numbers of 2,927 yards and 29 touchdowns over the past two seasons while attracting intense game-planning from opposition defenses.

Lacking a true number-one receiver, the Raiders are a perfect fit for Adams, and they decided to part with multiple 2022 draft picks, including their first-rounder (22 overall) and second-rounder (53), to get the deal done.

Along with the trade, Adams has also agreed a five-year deal worth up to $141m, making him the highest-paid receiver in league history.

An ESPN report suggested the Packers were willing to match the contract offer that was eventually offered by the Raiders, but bridges had already been burnt during negotiations that have been ongoing for almost a year, with NFL Network adding Rodgers aware of the situation before signing his own extension.

The Packers invested heavily this offseason, re-signing defensive players Preston Smith (four years, $52million) and De'Vondre Campbell (five years, $50m), as well as extending franchise quarterback Rodgers on an eye-watering three-year, $150m deal.

Those moves created a salary cap squeeze and the Packers ended up applying the franchise tag to Adams, which was short of fair value based on his production.

The franchise tag allows a team to go over the salary cap to extend a player's contract for one year, with the value being decided by the average of the top-five salaries in the league at the player's position.

The Packers tagged Adams, but he insisted he would not play for the team without a long-term deal in place.

The trade means a reunion between Raiders quarterback Derek Carr and his new receiver after they played together at Fresno State University.

It continues an active offseason for the Raiders after nailing down its edge rush pairing with a long-term extension of Maxx Crosby and the signing of Chandler Jones, showing the post-Mike Mayock front office is focused on big names at premium positions.

The Packers, who lost in the Divisional Round last year after two consecutive NFC Championship Game losses, must now urgently look to replenish the supporting cast for back-to-back league MVP Rodgers.

The Green Bay Packers confirmed the signing of NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers to a contract extension on Tuesday.

Prior to reports of a breakthrough in talks last week, the quarterback's future had been the subject of much speculation.

The four-time MVP – who has won the award in each of the past two seasons – was non-committal on whether he would return to Green Bay for the 2022 season.

Rodgers had 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 led 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 – and the 38-year-old soon confirmed he would be staying following the reported agreement.

Rodgers disputed the supposed $200million value of his new deal, but full details of the agreement were reported on Tuesday before the Packers announced his signing.

According to widespread reports, Rodgers agreed to a four-year extension to his deal, which has a year to run, although the final two seasons are placeholders for cap purposes that can be redone.

It means the $150m agreement is worth $50m per year to Rodgers over the next three seasons, the highest salary in the NFL on a per-year basis.

Announcing the contract but not its terms, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said: "We are very pleased to be able to come to an agreement with Aaron that keeps him in Green Bay.

"His play on the field and leadership in our locker room remain vital in our pursuit of another Super Bowl title.

"The agreement also allows us to maintain and enhance what we feel is already a very competitive roster."

Aaron Rodgers has confirmed he will return to the Green Bay Packers next season but denied signing a contract and refuted the alleged figures involved. 

NFL Network on Tuesday reported that Rodgers had agreed a four-year, $200million deal with Green Bay to make him the highest-paid player in NFL history. 

The quarterback was said to be receiving $153m guaranteed while giving the Packers room in the salary cap, which would have opened the door for the franchise tag to be placed on Davante Adams. 

Reigning MVP Rodgers took to Twitter to confirm he would be back on the field for the Packers next season. However, he claimed the details that had been reported were "inaccurate". 

"Hey everyone, just wanted to clear some things up; YES I will be playing with the @packers next year," Rodgers posted. 

"However, reports about me signing a contract are inaccurate, as are the supposed terms of the contract I 'signed'. 

"I'm very excited to be back. #year18" 

Rodgers was named MVP after throwing for 4,115 yards, 37 touchdowns and just four interceptions in the 2021 season. He ended the campaign ranked first in the NFL in touchdown percentage (7.0), interception percentage (0.8) and passer rating (111.9). 

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.

Aaron Rodgers has agreed to terms on a four-year, $200million deal with the Green Bay Packers to make him the highest-paid player in NFL history.

Matt LaFleur intends to give Aaron Rodgers time and space to decide his future rather than "annoying" the Green Bay Packers quarterback.

For the second straight offseason, the Packers are waiting to learn if the reigning MVP will return next year.

Despite a long-running saga prior to the 2021 season and then a coronavirus controversy during the campaign, Rodgers excelled again for Green Bay.

The 38-year-old then promised "a decision in the near future", but a series of cryptic social media posts and quotes followed.

While the Packers face uncertainty again, head coach LaFleur is determined not to interfere with Rodgers' thought process.

"I told him: I don't want to be overbearing and tell him every day how much we love him and how much we want him back," LaFleur said at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

"So you just want to be respectful of his space and allow him to think through everything clearly without being annoying, I guess."

Meanwhile, LaFleur confirmed Rodgers had a "significant role" in Tom Clements returning to the team as quarterbacks coach.

Clements was previously with the Packers between 2006 and 2016, including working with Rodgers as QB coach for the Super Bowl season of 2010.

He has been credited with having a key role in Rodgers' development by the player himself.