NFC North

Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers foresees a healthy split between running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon in the passing game.

Rodgers told reporters Tuesday it's "very realistic" that Jones and Dillon could see 50 targets each in 2022.

"We have runs to both of them, we have swing passes to them, we have screens, we have down-the-field stuff, we have action stuff, we have scat protection, we have six-man, seven-man protection stuff," he said. "There's a lot in the offense for those two guys."

Jones had 49 catches in 2019 and hit 52 in 2021. Dillon has seen a massive jump in his usage, going from 48 total touches as a rookie in 2020 to 221 touches in his second year. He hauled in 34 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns last season.

The Packers have yet to make a headline-grabbing addition to account for the departure of Davante Adams, who went to the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency. They signed Sammy Watkins and selected three wideouts (Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure) in the 2022 NFL draft.

Rather than having any one player replace Adams, it looks like head coach Matt LaFleur is counting on everybody to help pick up the slack. Because of that, you can certainly picture both Jones and Dillon occupying big roles in the passing game.

That would have clear fantasy football implications.

Fantasy managers with Jones on their roster will be a bit concerned about Dillon potentially taking more of the spotlight away from the 2020 Pro Bowler. Maybe he slips further from the upper tier of the RB1 category.

With Dillon, you're left to wonder whether he can see even more of the ball and build upon his encouraging 2021 campaign. Per FantasyPros, he has an average draft position of 53rd in standard drafts.

It might turn out that the fears surrounding both players are overblown if they can be the kind of pass-catchers Rodgers is expecting.

If the opening episode of Hard Knocks' portrayal of Detroit Lions training camp was about getting to know head coach Dan Campbell and some of the franchise cornerstones such as Aidan Hutchinson, the second one was a love letter to the city and an introduction to some of the other players.

Whether it was members of the team explaining what Detroit represents to them, old footage of the Lions' mascot and the Silverdome, and a training camp visit from the legendary Barry Sanders, the city and its history served as a clear backdrop for Tuesday's episode.

Detroit is Home.
Detroit is Love.
Detroit is the Jungle.#HardKnocks 🏈 #OnePride

— TheDLine™ (@TheDetroitLine) August 17, 2022

No way this used to be the Lions mascot.

No. Way. #HardKnocks pic.twitter.com/d47LWOs44D

— Football (@BostonConnr) August 17, 2022

Lions legend @BarrySanders stopped by for a visit. Could he still play? 🤔 (via @nflfilms)

📺: #HardKnocks with the @Lions airs tonight at 10pm ET on @hbomax pic.twitter.com/1Oo8wc8pTv

— NFL (@NFL) August 17, 2022

I will never get tired of watching Barry Sanders highlights. Best running back ever!#HardKnocks

— Detroit Griot (@JustCallmeBHunt) August 17, 2022

The #1 threat to ankles in the 90s @BarrySanders | #HardKnocks pic.twitter.com/Sj4CrWu45i

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) August 17, 2022

There were also a number of players on the forefront, including rookie linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Both of them inspired plenty of reactions from viewers, especially when Rodriguez thrived in practice and St. Brown named all 16 wide receivers who were selected ahead of him during the 2021 NFL draft when he wasn't training with his father and two-time Mr. Universe, John Brown:

Amon-Ra St. Brown right now… pic.twitter.com/0cjS40s0kh

— Kory Woods (@KoryEWoods) August 17, 2022

Holy smokes, Amon-Ra St. Brown knows the names and schools of EVERY WR that went ahead of him in the draft. This guy is hungry, and I love it.

— Tony Dombrowski (@tonydombrowski) August 17, 2022

Amon-Ra St. Brown has receipts. All of them. #HardKnocks

— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) August 17, 2022

Amon-Ra St. Brown watching all 16 WR’s get drafted before him. #HardKnocks #Lions pic.twitter.com/8lxmIr3W5d

— Meghan L. Hall (@ItsMeghanLHall) August 17, 2022

Amon-Ra St. Brown has repeatedly mentioned how he knows exactly who was taken before him. and how he’ll make those teams regret it. that draft scene 🔥🔥🔥🔥

— Kellie Rowe (@kellierowe) August 17, 2022

Random #HardKnocks highlight: John Brown, the father of Amon-Ra St. Brown and a former Mr. Universe, took a random shot at Kevin Durant because of the latter's torn Achilles. "I have a question for guys like Kevin Durant...when was the last time you did a calf raise?"

— Derek Jones (@DerekJones79) August 17, 2022

44 is built DIFFERENT #Rodrigo #OnePride | #HardKnocks

— Nick Leach (@NickLeachTV) August 17, 2022

MALCOLM RODRIGUEZ HYPE, LETS GOOO

— Pride of Detroit (@PrideOfDetroit) August 17, 2022

Malcolm Rodriguez getting a big spotlight on the second episode of ‘Hard Knocks.’

The rookie linebacker was a sixth round pick. 👀

— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) August 17, 2022

Oh yeah, the Lions LOVE Malcolm Rodriguez. Even HBO is showing love.

— Tony Dombrowski (@tonydombrowski) August 17, 2022

I’ll never understand how Rodrigo lasted until the 6th round. 📗#HardKnocks

— Bill Jones (@CBS11BillJones) August 17, 2022

Remembering those names certainly worked for St. Brown because he tallied 90 catches for 912 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie.

Other standout moments from Tuesday's episode was another memorable speech from Campbell and backup quarterback David Blough supporting his wife, Melissa Gonzalez, while she competed in the previous Olympics and trained for the next ones.

All good, men

🎥 @NFLFilms | #HardKnocks pic.twitter.com/qakiJt7GyN

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) August 16, 2022

I’m gonna say this every week, Dan Campbell’s energy is contagious. Players love this guy and you can see why.

— Bobby Thompson (@BThomps81) August 17, 2022

I love the Bloughs #HardKnocks

— Jamie Edmonds (@Jamie_Edmonds) August 17, 2022

Hard Knocks 🥹🥹🥹

David Blough cheering on his wife Melissa crush her race is too damn sweet

— Jenna Cottrell (@JennaCottrell) August 17, 2022

It all built toward the preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons, which was an unfortunate turn of events for Blough. After all, he fumbled the ball late in the fourth quarter while protecting a three-point lead, and Atlanta responded by driving down the field and scoring a touchdown in the final two minutes to secure a 27-23 win.

Attention will now turn toward Detroit's ability to bounce back in the second preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts.

It will surely be highlighted in the third episode next Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

The Green Bay Packers traded superstar wide receiver Davante Adams this offseason to the Las Vegas Raiders and have chosen to go with a younger group at the position in the aftermath.

And those players aren't getting up to speed fast enough for two-time defending MVP Aaron Rodgers.

"The young guys, especially young receivers, we've got to be way more consistent," he told reporters 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."

Per ESPN's Rob Demovsky, Rodgers wasn't frustrated with the veteran trio of Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb or Sammy Watkins.

More than likely, it was more directed toward players like fourth-round pick Romeo Doubs—who dropped a pass during Tuesday's practice against the New Orleans Saints defense that Rodgers described as his best throw of the day—and second-year wideout Amari Rodgers.

Second-round pick Christian Watson has yet to participate in 11-on-11 practices as he recovers from offseason knee surgery.

"We're going to play our best guys when the season starts," Rodgers noted. "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?"

"You keep dropping the ball, you're not going to be out there," he added. "It's going to be the most reliable guys that are out there. The preparation and the job responsibility is most important. There's going to be physical mistakes, like we've talked about, but if you're going out there and dropping the ball and somebody else behind you is in the right spot all the time and catching the ball, that guy's going to play."

There's no doubt that receiver is a major question mark heading into the 2022 season with Adams now in Sin City. Lazard will presumably be the team's top option, though his best season (40 catches for 513 yards and eight touchdowns in 2021) doesn't exactly scream "superstar."

Cobb and Watkins, meanwhile, bring plenty of experience to the table, though neither is a showstopper at this point. That has put a lot of pressure heading into the season on players like Watson, Doubs and Amari Rodgers to emerge as a legitimate threat.

At the moment, it appears Aaron Rodgers has limited confidence in that young group.

Chicago Bears linebacker Roquan Smith will travel with the team but will not play in Thursday's preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks amid his trade request, head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters Tuesday.

Eberflus described Smith as "engaged" despite the ongoing impasse between the linebacker and the organization regarding his future in Chicago. Smith publicly requested a trade earlier this month because of a stalling out in contract extension talks.

"The new front office regime doesn't value me here," Smith wrote in a statement sent to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. "They've refused to negotiate in good faith, every step of this journey has been 'take it or leave it'. The deal sent to me is one that would be bad for myself and for the entire LB market if I signed it. I've been trying to get something done that's fair since April, but their focus has been on trying to take advantage of me.

"I wanted to be a Bear for my entire career, help this team bring a [Super Bowl] back to our city. However, they have left me no choice than to request a trade that allows me to play for an organization that truly values what I bring to the table."

Bears general manager Ryan Poles responded to Smith's statement, saying the team does not plan to make a trade. Smith has not been participating in practice despite being activated off the physically unable to perform list last Wednesday.

The Bears can fine Smith for doing a so-called "hold-in." It's unclear if they've issued any punishment to this point, though Eberflus' public comments would indicate the team is still attempting to smooth things over.

Smith, a 2018 first-round pick, has been a star since stepping onto the field in Chicago. He set a career high with 163 tackles and added three sacks last season, earning second-team All-Pro honors for the second straight year.

Justin Jefferson saw the wide receiver market skyrocket this offseason. He knows he's next.

But as he sits a season away from being eligible for a long-term contract extension, Jefferson is keeping his focus on team success.

“I love it,” Jefferson told Jeff Howe of The Athletic. “I love it that it’s coming now. All of the top receivers are getting paid this year. The future is very bright. Definitely, the market is getting higher. At this moment, I’m trying to focus on winning the Super Bowl. After the Super Bowl, we can definitely talk more about that.”

Jefferson's first two seasons are among the greatest starts to a career for a wideout in NFL history. The Minnesota Vikings star has earned a pair of Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections, racking up 196 receptions for 3,016 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Jefferson already ranks in the top 20 in Vikings history in receiving yards two years into his career. He's shattered franchise marks set by Randy Moss, a bonafide Mount Rushmore receiver, and enters the 2022 season with even higher expectations. Fantasy experts now place Jefferson as WR1 ahead of Cooper Kupp, whose 145 receptions and 1,947 receiving yards last season rank as the second highest totals in NFL history.

Barring injury or an unexpected drop in performance, Jefferson should eclipse the $30 million annual average given to Tyreek Hill by the Miami Dolphins in March. If he's able to not have those numbers ringing in the back of his head, he's a stronger-willed person than most of society.

Roquan Smith, who is arguably the best player on the entire Chicago Bears roster, may eventually be on the move after he requested a trade, but the NFL warned other franchises not to tamper with the linebacker since he is still under contract with the NFC North team.

"Tampering is a corrosive problem that undermines both the integrity of the game and relationships among clubs," the NFL Management Council said in a memo it sent to the league's teams, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. "Accordingly, in the event that tampering is found, the Competition Committee has recommended the imposition of more stringent discipline than … imposed in prior years."

Courtney Cronin of ESPN added that the memo noted Saint Omni, a non-NFLPA-certified agent, had been contacting teams on Smith's behalf.

The 2022 season is set to be the final one on Smith's contract, and he and the Bears have been unable to come to terms on a new agreement.

He said in his trade request that Chicago "refused to negotiate in good faith" and has instead focused on "trying to take advantage of me."

#Bears All-Pro LB Roquan Smith has requested a trade. pic.twitter.com/x4vmOMhROt

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 9, 2022

While Smith started training camp on the physically unable to perform list, perhaps in part so he wouldn't be fined as the two sides negotiated a new deal, the team removed him from the list following the trade request.

That means the Bears could punish him for missing practices as the 2022 campaign approaches.

First-year general manager Ryan Poles spoke to reporters about the situation and said he was "really disappointed with where we're at right now" even though "my intentions are to make sure Roquan is on this team."

That other teams would be interested comes as no surprise considering Smith is in the middle of his prime at 25 years old and coming off a season that saw him tally 163 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, three sacks, three passes defended and one interception, which he returned for a touchdown.

Yet the league's crackdown on tampering has made headlines this offseason with the NFL docking the Miami Dolphins their first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft and third-round pick in the 2024 draft.

It also fined owner Stephen Ross $1.5 million and suspended him through Oct. 17 after an investigation revealed Miami had impermissible contact with future Hall of Famer Tom Brady when he was under contract with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Dolphins also contacted Sean Payton's agent when he was still the head coach of the New Orleans Saints.

The NFL seems to be serious about punishing tampering and used the Smith situation as an opportunity to remind teams.

While the Chicago Bears got a 19-14 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Saturday's preseason opener for both clubs, much of the attention was on the playing surface at Soldier Field.

JC Tretter, NFL Players Association president, posted an image of the grass and called for "new testing metrics" after the league approved the surface for play:

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

Bears quarterback Justin Fields told reporters after the game that the grass at least was better than it was earlier in the week.

"It's kind of always been like that. ... I'm just glad it was better than earlier this week because that wasn't the best. ... To be honest, last year I used our home field as an advantage because I knew how our grass was," he said.

It wasn't a surprise that the field was in poor condition Saturday. Cairo Santos, who is entering his third straight season as Chicago's kicker, addressed the situation Tuesday.

"Especially Week 1, our first game of the season—I've seen better," Santos told reporters. "It's just what we have to deal with. The less of a problem you make it in your mind, it helps you overcome it and just go."

Santos also said he has had to find poorly maintained parks near his home in Florida to mimic the experience of kicking at Soldier Field.

"The ball flies different," he said. "It's not super even all the time. ... It's important to put yourself in that situation."

The Bears are trying to get a new stadium built in Arlington Heights, Illinois. The team signed a purchase agreement for Arlington International Racecourse last year.

Bears president Ted Phillips said in January that completing the sale could last "maybe into the first quarter of 2023."

Last month, the city of Chicago proposed options to renovate Soldier Field, including rebuilding the end zones with columns to support a dome structure or modifying the stadium to become a multipurpose venue to host soccer matches, concerts and other events.

Soldier Field is the oldest active stadium in the NFL, having opened in 1924. The Bears didn't begin playing there until 1971.

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said he was "pleased" with the play of quarterback Jordan Love in Friday's preseason loss to the San Francisco 49ers despite a stat line that included three interceptions.

Love, a 2020 first-round pick, completed 13 of his 24 throws for 176 yards with two touchdowns and the three picks while leading the offense for the entire first half.

LaFleur discussed the performance after the Packers lost their preseason opener, 28-21:

I think two of those [interceptions] you can totally take off him. The third one, we had two busted routes because the ball really shouldn't have gone there on that play, but he had nowhere else to go with the football, and he forced it in there and the defender made a good play. We've just got to clean up everything around him. We say it all the time about quarterbacks, they're going to get too much credit when we do well and they're going to get a lot of the blame when we don't, and that's just the reality of playing that position in this league. But I was pleased with Jordan's performance.

Green Bay selected Love as the potential heir apparent to Aaron Rodgers, and it appeared prophetic for a period last year as the future Hall of Famer remained away from the franchise during the offseason amid a flurry of trade rumors.

Rodgers ultimately remained with the Packers and delivered his second straight MVP season, throwing 37 touchdowns and just four interceptions in 16 games.

The 38-year-old proceeded to sign a three-year, $150.8 million contract extension in March. The deal runs through 2026 and it's ended the speculation about his future, at least for now.

That's raised questions about what's next for Love, who hasn't received the type of first-team opportunities necessary to accelerate his development in a significant way.

Love has made just one start across his first two seasons, which came last year while Rodgers was in COVID-19 protocols, and he's headed for another year in the backup role.

The 23-year-old Utah State product explained the importance of getting live reps after Friday's contest.

"I think the game action means a lot," Love told reporters. "Being able to get those reps, seeing different looks on the defense, and just going against different guys. The intensity is a little bit higher, and I think the game action is a lot better than practice."

While LaFleur is right in saying the interceptions weren't solely on Love, including one that bounced off the hands of tight end Tyler Davis, the quarterback's overall play still isn't at a level you'd expect from a first-round selection entering his third season.

Whether the signal-caller will be able to make that leap through practices and preseason games is a mystery, but there's no path (barring injury) to a more significant role in Green Bay with Rodgers continuing to play at such a high level.

It could force the Packers into a tough situation next offseason, when they'll have to decide whether to exercise the fifth-year option in Love's contract.

A person claiming to represent Chicago Bears linebacker Roquan Smith has reportedly made calls to other NFL teams to gauge interest in a potential trade.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Friday the unnamed individual isn't certified by the NFL Players Association as an agent, and such contact would nonetheless be barred since Smith hasn't been granted permission by the Bears to speak with rival front offices.

The PFT report doesn't state whether Smith, who represents himself and requested a trade Tuesday, is aware of the "impermissible contact."

Smith is entering the final season of his rookie contract. He's scheduled to earn a $9.7 million base salary as part of a fifth-year option picked up by the Bears in May 2021.

The 2018 first-round pick released a statement to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network on Tuesday in coordination with the trade request, saying the organization has "refused to negotiate in good faith":

#Bears All-Pro LB Roquan Smith has requested a trade. pic.twitter.com/x4vmOMhROt

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 9, 2022

Smith has been part of a new trend around the league with players deciding to "hold in"—showing up for training camp in an effort to avoid fines typically associated with a holdout but not taking part in practices—while trying to work out a new contract.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus confirmed Thursday the team's medical staff cleared the inside linebacker to return from an undisclosed injury that led him to start camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, but he's opted against taking the field.

Meanwhile, Chicago general manager Ryan Poles said Tuesday they're "doing everything we can to get this [new contract] done."

"Right now my intentions are to sign Roquan to this team," Poles told reporters. "And we're going to take it day-by-day. At the end of the day, we've got to do what's best for this organization. But my intentions are to make sure Roquan Smith's on this team."

Smith has recorded 525 total tackles, 17 passes defended, 14 sacks, five interceptions and a forced fumble in 61 games across four seasons with the Bears. He's been voted a Second Team All-Pro each of the past two years.

Chicago plays its first preseason game Saturday when it hosts the Kansas City Chiefs at Solider Field. It opens the regular season Sept. 11 with a home game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins will miss the team's preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders after testing positive for COVID-19, coach Kevin O'Connell announced Friday.

Sean Mannion and Kellen Mond will handle the quarterbacking duties with Cousins out of the lineup.

O'Connell said he has not made a decision on whether Mannion or Mond will start. The first-year coach inherited all three quarterbacks on the depth chart from his predecessor, so it's likely the player who has looked best in camp will get the start. Reports out of training camp have indicated neither player has looked particularly strong thus far.

Mond was a third-round pick in 2021, and it would likely behoove the Vikings to get him as much playing time as possible. The Texas A&M product struggled for most of his preseason work a year ago and has been seen as a multi-year developmental project.

Cousins can return to the Vikings as soon as Tuesday. This is the second time Cousins has tested positive for COVID-19 in the last eight months. He previously missed a game against the Green Bay Packers last December due to the virus.

The 33-year-old has been open about the fact he refused to undergo COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccines remain safe and effective at preventing serious outcomes.