NFC North

Aaron Rodgers has become known for his unconventional approach to healing and recovery.

On the latest episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, the Green Bay Packers star quarterback explained how past experiences have influenced him not to rely on prescribed pain medications and instead seek out natural healing methods.

"I just don't understand why there isn't more natural options looked into that are out there that have research behind it, and we're still pushing the same you know Percocet, Vicodin, [Oxycodone] if you have pain," Rodgers said. "I saw at one point a teammate of mine who was unable to get treatment on a post-surgical operation without being put under anesthesia because of an addiction to pain medicine."

Rodgers went on to say he's watched former teammates struggle with drug addiction for quite some time.

"I know of multiple teammates over the years—I'm talking about in high school, college and pros—who have dealt with their own relapses around addiction to pain pills," Rodgers added.

During the extensive talk on the podcast, Rodgers also criticized the NFL for how "easily accessible" painkillers used to be and even said he played in a game while on Percocet. He said his use of the pain medicine was "more for pain management, so I wasn't taking any high dosage, but stupid, ultimately."

In 2018, Rodgers was scrutinized for his demeanor in a post-game interview after he came back from what appeared to be a significant knee injury suffered before halftime. He denied back then that his body language seemed "off" during that instance because he was on painkillers.

Earlier this month, Rodgers spoke about his experiences using the hallucinogenic drink ayahuasca during this offseason and once before in 2020. He told NBC Sports' Peter King that "a lot of healing went on" and described it as a life-changing experience. The NFL said he didn't violate the league's drug policy for his use of ayahuasca, which is defined as "a psychoactive beverage native to South America and is often used for religious, ritualistic or medicinal purposes."

Rodgers and the Packers will open the 2022 season Sept. 11 against the Minnesota Vikings.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers criticized the NFL's stance on natural remedies for pain management, saying highly addictive painkillers used to be "easily accessible" and admitting to playing a game on Percocet.

"The pain management, especially with our sport, is fascinating to see how things are 'treated.' I use quotations on treated because, up until probably a decade ago, it was easily accessible to get oxy, Percocet, Vicodin, whatever you wanted. ... you played [on painkillers], definitely," Rodgers said on the Joe Rogan Experience (39-minute mark).

"[I played] on Percocet. It was more for pain management, so I wasn't taking any high dosage, but stupid, ultimately. Here's the thing: I had knee issues for a long time, and you take anti-inflammatories. You're taking anti-inflammatories, they all come with a warning: If you take this more than a few weeks, you've gotta get your blood tested because it can do damage to your liver. There are so many things you can take now, anti-inflammatory things, that are natural, that don't cause damage to your body."

Rodgers went on to say the NFL has done a better job of monitoring the use of addictive painkillers over the last decade but expressed frustration that CBD and other natural remedies are "frowned upon."

"It's ass backwards, the whole treatment of professional athletes—definitely in our sport, that we're still giving out that stuff," Rodgers said.

The reigning NFL MVP has been an increasing public proponent of natural medicine. He took flak last season for famously misleading journalists by saying he was "immunized" for COVID-19 when he had not taken a vaccine. When it became public knowledge that Rodgers was unvaccinated, he said he sought alternative treatments.

Rodgers credited his brilliant performance for the last two seasons to his use of ayahuasca, a psychedelic tea that is illegal in the United States. The NFL has said it has no plans on punishing Rodgers for his use of the drug.

Prescription painkiller abuse has been a long-running topic across the NFL, with journalists uncovering a past of the highly addictive substances often being given away without a medical purpose. The NFL cracked down amid those investigative reports, but that came after decades of career-altering penalties handed down for marijuana, a drug with far fewer long-term side effects.

The most recent NFL collective bargaining agreement ended suspensions for positive tests for marijuana.

The NFL pledged a $1 million grant in February into the study of cannabis and CBS for pain management. Despite that pledge, the NFL still technically bans the use of CBD and marijuana.

Aaron Rodgers isn't leaving his perch as the Green Bay Packers' starting quarterback any time soon, but he's been impressed with backup Jordan Love's progress.

Rodgers called Love a "master" of the Packers offense following a solid showing from the Utah State product in Thursday's preseason finale.

“I’m always harping on the little things,” Rodgers said on the Packers' TV broadcast. “The reads and stuff, just understanding the offense. I think he’s definitely become a master of the offense. But it’s just the little things that are really going to help him level up, and a lot of it is footwork and little things like arm angles on run action, his keeper fakes, his hard-action fakes, his run solutions and RPO game, helping to marry up with the running game. That’s what I like seeing.”

Love, a 2020 first-round pick, has not often looked the part in his limited NFL action. He was overwhelmed in a Week 9 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last season, and he opened his 2022 preseason with three interceptions against the San Francisco 49ers.

While the jury is still out on whether Love is a viable NFL starter, he has shown more decisiveness with his passes and an increased comfort in Matt LaFleur's offensive system.

“I thought there was a lot of good things out there,” LaFleur said. “I always look at the numbers at the end of it and go, ‘That doesn’t make sense.’ I thought he did a lot of good things. We’ll take a look at the tape. I’m sure there’s always something you can clean up.”

At the least, the Packers have found a quarterback both Rodgers and LaFleur are comfortable with serving as a backup. On the other hand, it's difficult to envision a scenario in which the Packers pick up their fifth-year option on Love next spring.

Given all of the headaches the decision to draft him caused, it's probably a move the team would take back in hindsight.

The Detroit Lions have placed Jameson Williams on the reserve/non-football injury list Tuesday, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

The 12th overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft will be unavailable to begin the year after suffering a torn ACL in last year's college football national championship game while at Alabama.

Detroit hopes Williams will be available to play around midseason, according to Pelissero.

The wideout told James Palmer of NFL Network prior to the draft that he was expecting to be fully cleared before training camp. In May, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported most executives predicted October as the "sweet spot for his return," with November also a possibility.

It's clear the Lions will remain patient with the 21-year-old as they prioritize his long-term outlook over an early return.

Williams was one of college football's breakout stars after transferring from Ohio State to Alabama. He tallied 79 catches for 1,572 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns in 15 games as the leading receiver for the national runner-ups.

It came after catching just 15 passes across two seasons with the Buckeyes.

The 6'2" receiver also displayed his dynamic ability on special teams, averaging 35.2 yards per kickoff return with two touchdowns.

Even with the injury, the Lions saw enough to trade up 20 spots from No. 32 to make Williams the fourth receiver off the board in April. When he does get on the field, he will join an exciting offense featuring young playmakers D'Andre Swift and Amon-Ra St. Brown.

The Minnesota Vikings are reportedly "enthusiastic" about the potential of third-year wide receiver K.J. Osborn, which makes him an intriguing fantasy football target despite the presence of Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen.

Arif Hasan of The Athletic reported Tuesday the Vikes are "clearly committed" to using three receivers as part of their base offensive set, which he expects will translate to "a lot" of targets for Osborn.

The 25-year-old Michigan native enjoyed a solid 2021 season, recording 50 catches for 655 yards and seven touchdowns in 17 games. That came after he was limited to a special teams role as a rookie.

Those numbers put him on the fringe of the fantasy starter conversation, so even a modest uptick from his 82 targets last year would probably make him a safe flex play most weeks in 2022.

Whether there's actually a path to a larger role is up for debate, though. Jefferson and Thielen will combine to eat up a majority of the targets, and tight end Irv Smith Jr. is slated to return after missing all of last season with a knee injury.

On the flip side, Osborn is currently being drafted outside the top 60 wideouts in Yahoo Sports fantasy leagues, so there's minimal investment to take a flier on his continued improvement.

His ability to stay on the field in any situation is also a boost to his stock.

"I think I'm pretty powerful, so I can play inside and block the big guys," Osborn told reporters in early August. "But I can go deep and go get it. I've showed that a couple of times, so I want to continue to show it."

K.J. Osborn looking like elite value this year in #fantasyfootball drafts 💰

🗣@petemrogers pic.twitter.com/CwAYRexJBG

— NerdBall Fantasy Football (@nerdballff) August 22, 2022

Ultimately, Osborn will have some lackluster statistical games when Jefferson, Thielen and Smith are all also on the field. There just aren't enough targets to produce three or four fantasy standouts from the same pass-catching corps every week.

He'll post strong enough numbers to warrant a roster spot, however, and he's one injury away from a prominent role in a dangerous passing attack.

That's enough to grab him as WR depth in one of the final rounds of fantasy drafts.

The current roster isn't the only reason for concern for the Chicago Bears.

The grass at Soldier Field has been the target of plenty of criticism this offseason, especially ahead of the Aug. 13 preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. There are now plans in place to fix it before the Sept. 11 season opener against the San Francisco 49ers.

"Long-planned full resodding of the field is scheduled for early September using a new Bermuda grass system requested by the Bears," Soldier Field management said in a statement, per Brian Sandalow of the Chicago Sun-Times.

This is not photoshop. This is what the field actually looks like today. pic.twitter.com/NCtRAJxYWK

— Jason Lieser (@JasonLieser) August 13, 2022

The NFL said that this field met minimum testing standards. We clearly need to re-evaluate what is an acceptable surface for players to compete on. We need new testing metrics looking at the performance and safety of every field. The NFL can and should do better. pic.twitter.com/Vh1NDgLQBk

— JC Tretter (@JCTretter) August 13, 2022

The MLS' Chicago Fire also play in the stadium that holds concerts and events as well.

"I'm just glad it was better than earlier this week because that wasn't the best," quarterback Justin Fields told reporters after the game against the Chiefs.

Bears kicker Cairo Santos even revealed he sought out poorly maintained public parks in Florida during the offseason to simulate what playing at Soldier Field was like.

All of this comes as team officials are looking to move the Bears to nearby Arlington Heights, Illinois, while Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has proposed plans to renovate Soldier Field and keep the team inside the city.

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur is pleased with the development of third-year quarterback Jordan Love, saying he's "light-years ahead" of where he was at this point last season.

Love completed 12 of his 24 passes for 113 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in Friday's 20-10 preseason with over the New Orleans Saints.

"I know the numbers don't necessarily reflect probably how I feel," LaFleur told reporters. "He stood in the pocket and was throwing on rhythm. Unfortunately again we had too many drops. He was decisive. I think that's the big thing from him. I see a much more decisive player out there. I think that's going to lead to a much more effective player."

Although Love is ticketed for another season as Aaron Rodgers' backup, his progress is still paramount as Green Bay's front office attempts to navigate its future plans under center.

Next offseason, the Packers will have to decide whether to pick up the 23-year-old Utah State product's fifth-year option for 2024, which would include a significant increase in his salary-cap hit.

Since Love isn't likely to hit any of the playing time or Pro Bowl thresholds, he'll be in line for the basic option. That was $19.6 million for QBs from the 2019 draft class ahead of this year's option deadline in May, per OverTheCap. It typically increases slightly each season.

His rookie contract features cap hits of $3.4 million and $3.9 million over the next two years, which is reasonable for a backup signal-caller, but a jump toward $20 million would be tough to handle if he's going to remain No. 2 on the depth chart.

A lot depends on how long Rodgers, 38, wants to play. He's posted back-to-back MVP seasons and physically appears like he could follow in Tom Brady's footsteps by playing into his mid-40s.

The 10-time Pro Bowler has flirted with the idea of retirement in recent years, however, which is part of the reason Green Bay invested a first-round pick in Love despite having a top-tier quarterback on its roster.

Love hasn't played up to a first-round standard in his opportunities so far, including his first regular-season start last year while Rodgers was in COVID-19 protocols, but it's also hardly been an ideal growth situation with such limited first-team reps.

The situation is going to carry a lot of intrigue over the next 12 months as he could land on the trade block if Rodgers remains committed to playing. The front office probably doesn't want a $20 million backup, but it also won't want to lose a high draft pick to free agency for no return.

For now, it sounds like LaFleur is confident Love can handle the starting role if called upon at some point this season.

Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus is pleased with the progress second-year quarterback Justin Fields has made throughout training camp.

Fields was a limited participant in Thursday night's preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks, completing five of his seven throws for 39 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.

"I see more progress in practice," Eberflus told reporters after the Bears' 27-11 win. "His footwork's getting better, his delivery when he's feeling pressure, how he slides in the pocket and delivers the ball, that's getting a lot better too. He's improving every single day."

Fields endured an up-and-down rookie campaign after being selected with the No. 11 overall pick in last year's draft.

The Ohio State product completed 58.9 percent of his throws for 1,870 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 12 games (10 starts). He added 420 rushing yards on 72 carries (5.8 YPC) with two scores on the ground.

Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who were both hired over the offseason, are building an offense that should take better advantage Fields' multifaceted playmaking ability.

"He does a really good job with the movement passes, the play-actions, in pocket, out of pocket, and to be able to deliver the ball," Eberflus said Thursday. "So we're excited about that."

The key question alongside the 23-year-old signal-caller's development is whether the Bears have put enough pass-catching talent around him.

Darnell Mooney is coming off a breakout year to the tune of 81 catches for 1,055 yards, but he must prove whether he's a true No. 1 wide receiver.

There are also a lot of question marks behind Mooney. Byron Pringle and Equanimeous St. Brown are former reserve wideouts in high-powered offenses (Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers, respectively) and Velus Jones Jr. is a rookie.

Add in tight end Cole Kmet and the Bears have the elements for the passing game to find success, but everyone in the group needs to take a step forward in coordination with Fields.

If everything comes together perfectly, Chicago has an opportunity to emerge as one of the NFL's breakout teams this season.

The Bears finish their exhibition slate next Saturday against the Cleveland Browns. They open the regular season Sept. 11 by hosting the San Francisco 49ers at Soldier Field.

The Chicago Bears are counting on Justin Fields to become the franchise quarterback they have so long been searching for, but it's going to be difficult for him to live up to expectations given the talent around him.

That was on full display during the opening drive of Thursday's preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Fields threw seven times on the one possession he played and seemingly had to run for his life on every drop back that wasn't a rollout. To his credit, he still led the Bears into scoring position before Cairo Santos capped the drive with a field goal.

Fields rolling out is a thing of beauty. @justnfields

📺: #CHIvsSEA on ESPN
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/duqkxIEtbt pic.twitter.com/TnYSsrMuJv

— NFL (@NFL) August 19, 2022

A rollout 19-yard pass to tight end Cole Kmet was the most important play of the drive, but it was the offensive line problems for Chicago that caught the eye of plenty of viewers:

It sure seems that if the Bears don't move the pocket, there won't ever be a pocket for Justin Fields.

— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) August 19, 2022

Bears O-Line 🤢🤢🤢

— Jason Patt (@Bulls_Jay) August 19, 2022

Justin Fields: "Y'all wanna block for me?"

The Bears O-line: pic.twitter.com/Hw5CJmCWnI

— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) August 19, 2022

I think if the Bears had legit a half way decent o line so many peoples opinions would would change about the Bears and Fields this season

— Jacob LaRochelle (@JACOBjsl) August 19, 2022

OK. Just don’t let Fields get killed here. Am I asking too much?

— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) August 19, 2022

The bears offensive line is pic.twitter.com/2szACeoanN

— Matt Hoeppner (@matthoeppner) August 19, 2022

This bears offensive line is atrocious. Like it’s so bad. The worst I’ve ever seen in my life

— Yayo 🤷🏽‍♂️ (@_yayeezy) August 19, 2022

Great to see the Bears Offensive Line in midseason form

— Eric (@Eric_Root54) August 19, 2022

Poor Justin Fields can't even get his returner to open a preseason game without fumbling. Free this man

— Buck Reising (@BuckReising) August 19, 2022

#Bears passing game trying to stretch the field but their protection is not holding up so far.

— Aaron Leming (@AaronLemingNFL) August 19, 2022

The most important thing for the Bears this season is Fields' ability to make strides in his second year. After all, this roster is far from a Super Bowl contender, and his long-term ceiling is something of a light at the end of the tunnel for a team that could finish in last place in the NFC North.

Yet making those necessary strides will be all the more difficult if he never has enough time to throw and read opposing defenses.

The offensive line will look to improve ahead of Chicago's preseason finale at the Cleveland Browns on Aug. 27. The Seahawks finish their preseason on the road as well and face the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 26.

Veteran Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb has some advice for the team's young receivers amid training camp struggles and criticism from quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

"It doesn't matter if they appreciate [Rodgers' criticism] or not," Cobb told reporters. "This is the way that we do things here. So it's either you get with it or you get out the room and we'll find somebody else that's gonna get on board with what we're trying to accomplish."

Rodgers expressed frustration with the team's younger wide receivers Tuesday:

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

"(The regular season is) coming up. Yeah, it's coming up. It really is. We're going to play our best guys when the season starts. And whoever those guys are, those guys are going to get the reps. It's the guys I trust the most and the guys the coaches trust the most.

"A lot of it is just the simple responsibility in the offense. Way before body positioning and movement and throw, and all that stuff, are you in the right spot at the right time? Are you running the right route?"

Rodgers lost top target Davante Adams when the Packers traded him to the Las Vegas Raiders in March, so it's no surprise he is looking for the younger players to improve.

Samori Toure, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson and Amari Rodgers highlight the group of inexperienced wideouts. The Packers selected Watson in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft, Doubs in the fourth round and Toure in the seventh round.

Rodgers met with those players Wednesday morning, and Toure told reporters the four-time MVP wanted to give them some advice.

"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," Toure said.

Doubs added that Cobb and Allen Lazard have taken the younger receivers under their wing this summer:

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

Watson is the headliner of Green Bay's 2022 receiving class. He spent four seasons at North Dakota State and had a solid 2021 season, catching 43 passes for 800 yards and seven touchdowns. He also rushed for 114 yards and one score.

Amari Rodgers is entering his second season with the Packers after being selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft out of Clemson. He caught just four passes for 45 yards in 16 games as a rookie and saw most of his playing time returning kickoffs and punts.

Aaron Rodgers is expected to heavily rely on veterans Cobb, Lazard and Sammy Watkins this season. However, he will need more than three reliable targets if the Green and Gold want to reach the Super Bowl.