NFC North

The Green Bay Packers have restructured the contract of running back Aaron Jones, clearing $3.08 million worth of cap space, per ESPN's Field Yates. 

The team converted $3.85 million of Jones' 2022 salary into a signing bonus while adding two void years. 

Jones signed a four-year, $48 million deal before last season, although only $13 million was guaranteed. According to Spotrac, he now has a $5.87 million cap hit for 2022.

The move comes as the Packers try to get under the salary cap, entering the day $37.4 million over the mark for 2022, second-worst in the NFL.

Green Bay already reportedly restructured the contract of defensive tackle Kenny Clark on Wednesday, clearing up $10.9 million worth of cap space, per Yates. 

Aaron Rodgers currently has a $46.7 million cap hit while star receiver Davante Adams is unsigned going into 2022, although general manager Brian Gutekunst believes he can fit everyone under the cap if needed.

"I feel very confident about that," he told reporters Wednesday.

Jones' restructure allows the team to keep a versatile player who has reached 1,100 yards from scrimmage and 10 total touchdowns in each of the last three seasons. The one-time Pro Bowler has an impressive 49 rushing and receiving touchdowns over his last four years, leading the NFL with 19 scores in 2019.

The 27-year-old still has an uncertain future beyond 2022 with what would be a $20 million cap hit in 2023. The Packers can trade or release the running back next offseason and save $12.75 million against the cap the following season.

AJ Dillon also figures to take on a bigger role after the 2020 second-round pick totaled a team-high 803 rushing yards last season.    

Aaron Rodgers reportedly won't keep the Green Bay Packers waiting for an answer about his future much longer.

Per ESPN's Dianna Russini, Rodgers will inform the Packers of his decision "soon," and multiple teams have already made trade offers.

Russini noted "nothing can happen" regarding a trade until the Packers allow it.

Following Green Bay's 13-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round on Jan. 22, Rodgers told reporters he would "take some time and have conversations with the folks around here, and then take some time away and make a decision" before the start of free agency.

Speculation about Rodgers' future picked up Tuesday when he posted a series of pictures on Instagram with friends and teammates, along with a caption expressing gratitude for many of his Packers teammates. 

During his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show later that day (h/t Yahoo's Jason Duaine Hahn), Rodgers said the Instagram post was just meant to express "gratitude" after he finished a 12-day cleanse. 

Rodgers didn't have an announcement about his future on the show, but he did say his exit meetings with Packers management after the season ended "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, which is $37.4 million over the salary cap, is taking steps just to get even with the cap. 

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero (h/t NFL.com's Kevin Patra), Kenny Clark restructured his deal to clear $10.8 million in cap space. 

ESPN's Field Yates reported Thursday that the Packers created $3.08 million in cap space by turning a portion of Aaron Jones' 2022 salary into a signing bonus and adding two voidable years to his deal. 

Amid his apparent unhappiness with the team last offseason, Rodgers signed a reworked contract in July that voided the 2023 season and removed forfeiture provisions that prevent the Packers from pursuing prorated portions of his signing bonus. 

Rodgers will enter the final season of his current deal in 2022. 

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters Wednesday he never promised to trade Rodgers after the 2021 season if the four-time NFL MVP wants to play for another organization in 2022.

"Those are some hypotheticals that I don't think we're going to go down those roads right now," Gutekunst said.

Rodgers has spent his entire 17-year career with the Packers since being drafted in 2005. He won his fourth career MVP award—and second straight—in 2021. The 38-year-old threw for 4,115 yards and 37 touchdowns against only four interceptions in 16 starts last season. 

The Packers have had the best regular-season record in the NFC in each of the past two seasons, but they have lost in the playoffs before reaching the Super Bowl.     

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst does not plan on cutting bait on quarterback Jordan Love, regardless of Aaron Rodgers' future with the franchise. 

"I would be very doubtful that I'd take very many of those calls," Gutekunst told reporters Wednesday when asked if he'd consider trading Love.

The Packers selected Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft, setting off a chain of events that has the team staring at an uncertain offseason. Rodgers spent last offseason pushing to leave Green Bay, thanks in large part to the team's selection of Love, before reaching an agreement with the Packers to reassess his future in the 2022 offseason, per Fox Sports' Jay Glazer.

Rodgers won his second straight MVP in 2021 and has been noncommittal about his future with the franchise. The relationship between Rodgers and the Packers made significant strides over the season, and signs increasingly point toward his returning or retiring rather than requesting a trade.

Love made his first career start in November against the Kansas City Chiefs and was unimpressive, throwing for 190 yards and a touchdown against an interception. 

"Obviously, I'm sure there are some things he would have liked to go different in the games that he played, but I thought there were some really positive signs throughout the year, especially in the spring," Gutekunst said of Love.

It's unlikely the Packers could recoup a first-round pick if they chose to trade Love, but a team could offer a second-day selection to take a risk on the UCLA product. That pick could be a critical addition for the Packers, who are facing a cap crunch across their roster, should Rodgers return.

Love has two years and a potential fifth-year option remaining on his contract. 

The Green Bay Packers are keeping their options open regarding free-agent receiver Davante Adams.

General manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters Wednesday the team could let Adams walk in free agency if the two sides can't come to an agreement. 

"Yeah, possibly," Gutekunst said. "There's a lot of things to be determined there."

The team would prefer to agree on a long-term extension, though the franchise tag is a possibility.

"If we need to use it, we certainly will," Gutekunst said of the tag. 

Adams has been one of the top receivers in the NFL in recent seasons, earning first-team All-Pro honors in 2020 and 2021. He finished last year with 123 catches for 1,553 receiving yards—both career highs—on his way to his fifth straight Pro Bowl selection.

The Packers face challenges to retaining the 29-year-old.

Green Bay is $37.7 million over the salary cap for 2022, per Spotrac. Even using the franchise tag on the wide receiver would cost a projected $19.1 million, per Over the Cap.

Gutekunst is seemingly not worried about the cap situation, however, saying the team would be able to keep Adams, quarterback Aaron Rodgers and others.

"I feel very confident about that," he said.

The Packers have until March 8 to place the franchise tag on Adams.

The Green Bay Packers have restructured defensive tackle Kenny Clark's contract, creating $10.9 million worth of cap space, according to Field Yates of ESPN.

Clark had signed a four-year, $70 million extension in 2020. The new deal converts $13.6 million of the 2022 salary into a signing bonus and adds two void years. The 26-year-old was set to have a cap hit of $20.9 million for the upcoming season, per Spotrac.

Green Bay still has work to do, entering the day $48.6 million over the 2022 cap. Only the New Orleans Saints ($76.2 million) have a worse situation.

The Packers' cap situation is especially interesting with Aaron Rodgers' future plans still unknown.

The quarterback could retire, stay with the team or force a trade, all of which would have significant ramifications on the salary cap. The reigning MVP has a $46.7 million cap hit in 2022, and the team could save $19.8 million by trading him this offseason.

Then there's top wideout Davante Adams' free-agent status.

If the two sides can't agree on a new contract—one that could cost well over $20 million per year—the Packers might use the franchise tag, which OverTheCap projects to be $19.1 million.

It puts pressure on the team to figure out plans for other players with high-priced contracts, including Clark, linebacker Za'Darius Smith and offensive tackle David Bakhtiari.

Clark, a 6'3", 314-pound anchor for the defense, earned his second career Pro Bowl selection this past season after finishing with 48 tackles and four sacks.   

While Aaron Rodgers didn't make any announcement about his status for the 2022 NFL season, he struck a positive tone Tuesday about his relationship with the Green Bay Packers.

"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," Rodgers said on The Pat McAfee Show of his exit interview after the 2021 season ended (via Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette).

Last spring, it looked like Rodgers' days in Green Bay might be numbered because of a clear discord between him and the organization.

Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson reported last May that the four-time MVP was "adamant that he won’t return to the team under the current stewardship of general manager Brian Gutekunst."

A few days later, Bob McGinn of The Athletic filed a report detailing how Rodgers compared Gutekunst to Jerry Krause. The former Chicago Bulls general manager was the front-office architect of an NBA dynasty in the 1990s yet widely disliked by many of the Bulls players, including Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

Rodgers publicly addressed the situation shortly thereafter and said his frustrations weren't tied to Green Bay selecting a potential successor, Jordan Love, in the 2020 NFL draft. Instead, the wedge was down to a deeper philosophical divide.

Aaron Rodgers spoke with @Kenny_Mayne about where he stands with the Packers: pic.twitter.com/VeSBspFVLL

— ESPN (@espn) May 25, 2021

Contrast all of that with how Rodgers is talking about the Packers now. He said the organization made genuine efforts to improve the issues he had laid out behind closed doors.

Things feel like they're much different now with the Packers.

"I'm definitely thankful for the work Brian Gutekunst put in on our relationship & Matt LaFleur & I get closer every year" ~@AaronRodgers12#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Ev1th7lNyO

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 22, 2022

When ESPN's Adam Schefter reported last July that the Packers and Rodgers reached an agreement that effectively gave him an exit route from Green Bay, many assumed this year would be Rodgers' last in a Packers uniform.

The 10-time Pro Bowler fueled that narrative when he alluded to the Bulls' 1997-98 season, when many of Chicago's key figures entered the year with the idea the dynasty was ending. 

There's still the chance Rodgers retires altogether. He turned 38 in December and has achieved every attainable goal on an individual and team metric.

Assuming he wants to keep playing, it looks more and more likely he won't be going anywhere. 

Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers said Tuesday on The Pat McAfee Show that he has not yet made a decision on his future:

"There will be no decision on my future today" ~@AaronRodgers12#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/TlNG5x3th5

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 22, 2022

It comes after Rodgers thanked the Packers and his teammates in an Instagram post on Monday:

Aaron Rodgers just posted this message and 10+ photos on his Instagram 👀 pic.twitter.com/DjYuiNnayo

— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) February 22, 2022

The post also featured several pictures of himself with Packers teammates.

The cryptic post fueled speculation that he could either announce his retirement or a decision to leave Green Bay for a new team in 2022. He previously said on The Pat McAfee Show that he would consider breaking news of his future on the podcast, but it didn't happen on Tuesday.

"There will be no news today," Rodgers said. "No decision on my future."

He explained his Instagram post was not related:

"There's nothing cryptic about gratitude.. I was going thru some pictures from the last year & felt an intense amount of gratitude for the life that I have & the lessons I've learned" ~@AaronRodgers12#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/htggxJBirY

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 22, 2022

Rodgers was named the NFL's MVP for the second year in a row, leading the Packers to 13 wins for the third straight season. The Packers fell short of the Super Bowl in each of these seasons, most recently losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round of the playoffs.

The 38-year-old remains under contract for two more seasons, but the Packers already drafted a potential replacement in Jordan Love and they can save $19.8 million against the salary cap by trading or releasing Rodgers, per Spotrac. 

After a tumultuous 2021 offseason where the quarterback held out of minicamp and organized team activities, Rodgers' future remains a question mark.

A decision could still come soon. Rodgers said he wants to provide clarity before the Packers place the franchise tag on receiver Davante Adams, via Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. The franchise tag window opened Tuesday and will close on March 8.   

It's unclear what the future holds for Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but the two-time reigning MVP thanked his teammates Monday for their hard work during the 2021 campaign:

Aaron Rodgers just posted this message and 10+ photos on his Instagram 👀 pic.twitter.com/DjYuiNnayo

— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) February 22, 2022

Even more pictures from Rodgers’ Instagram post (3/3) pic.twitter.com/B4Bw01aWHQ

— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) February 22, 2022

Rodgers told former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee on The Pat McAfee Show that "everything is on the table" for his football career, whether it's returning to Green Bay, playing for another team or retiring.

Since the Packers' loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round of the playoffs, there have been numerous rumors about Rodgers' next step.

He also told McAfee last month he would consider announcing a decision on his future on his show, where he is a frequent guest.

Then came the rumors earlier this month, when ESPN's Jared Stillman reported Rodgers was building a home in Tennessee and that a source said he would be "open" to joining the Titans in 2022. However, Turron Davenport of ESPN later reported the Titans "don't consider Rodgers to be an option" for them next season and are planning to stick with Ryan Tannehill.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported last week the Packers were "willing to offer" Rodgers a contract extension to make him the league's highest-paid quarterback, one "worth more than $45 million annually."

ESPN's Adam Schefter added the team was "prepared to go all-in" for the veteran this offseason by "spending as close to the cap this year and spreading it into future years as much as possible."

The franchise is also reportedly bringing back Tom Clements as quarterbacks coach, likely in an effort to convince the four-time MVP to stay. Clements previously served as quarterbacks coach, offensive coordinator and assistant head coach in Green Bay over the years.

Rodgers completed 68.9 percent of his passes for 4,115 yards and 37 touchdowns against four interceptions during the 2021 season.

If he were to play elsewhere in 2022 or retire, the Packers would be left with 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love, who has made just one NFL start. He completed 19 of 34 passes for 190 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a 13-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 7.

The Carolina Panthers have reportedly called the Minnesota Vikings about trading for quarterback Kirk Cousins, but conversations have gone "nowhere so far."

That's the word from Judd Zulgad of SKOR North on Purple Daily Monday (h/t Anthony Rizzuti of Panthers Wire), who said the following regarding the Panthers' reported interest in the 33-year-old:

“They have gotten a call. Now, from what I’ve heard, it went nowhere so far. But it’s interesting that the phone did ring at TCO [Stadium] in Eagen and on the other end of the line...the Carolina Panthers.

Quarterback-desperate. Panicked, I’m sure. I think if Matt Rhule and the Panthers don’t have a successful 2022, he’s probably going to be fired 'cause that has not worked out. They cast their lot, in 2021, with Sam Darnold—didn’t work out. And so I’ve heard that the Panthers...now the Vikings supposedly said ‘Hey, let’s put a pin in that conversation. We don’t plan to move him now.'

Cousins has one year and $45 million ($35 million base salary, $10 million prorated bonus) left on his contract.

The three-time Pro Bowler completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 33 touchdowns (seven interceptions) and 7.5 yards per attempt last season.

The Panthers have played quarterback roulette ever since Matt Rhule arrived in Charlotte to be the team's head coach in 2020.

Teddy Bridgewater, P.J. Walker, Sam Darnold and Cam Newton have all started games, but the team doesn't appear to have found its long-term starter. The trio of Darnold, Newton and Walker notably threw 21 interceptions and 14 touchdowns last year.

Cousins would be an upgrade at quarterback, although he wouldn't come cheap.

Reporter Jordan Schultz already stated that Cousins has "zero intention" of taking a pay cut for the Vikings and that an extension could cost the Vikings around $40 million per season.

As for the Vikings, they have some big decisions to make as a new general manager (Kwesi Adofo-Mensah) and head coach (Kevin O'Connell) take over the reins in Minneapolis. Most importantly, there's the question of what to do with Cousins, who will be a free agent in 2023.

He's been the Vikings' quarterback since 2018 and finished top 10 in both Football Outsiders' DVOA (defense-adjusted over average) and DYAR (defense-adjusted yards above replacement) over the past three seasons.

At the very least, it appears he's sticking around in 2022. 

"We've already started thinking about how we're going to build those systems for him and our other quarterbacks and really the tremendous skill group that we have, our guys up front," O'Connell said at his introductory press conference.

"It takes all 11 to move the football on offense, to run it, to throw it, to score points in the red zone. But I'm anticipating Kirk being a part of what we do."

For now, Cousins remains a Viking, and the Panthers remain in quarterback limbo.

New Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell is reportedly bringing a key Los Angeles Rams assistant with him up north.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Vikings are planning to hire Rams passing game coordinator and tight ends coach Wes Phillips as their offensive coordinator.

Rapoport noted that Phillips' role with the Rams under O'Connell is likely to "mirror" what O'Connell did as the Rams' OC under head coach Sean McVay.

McVay, O'Connell and Phillips were all part of the Rams' coaching staff that led L.A. to a 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.

The 43-year-old Phillips broke into the coaching ranks at the college level and notably served as the quarterbacks coach at Baylor in 2006 before making the move to the NFL.

He spent seven seasons with the Dallas Cowboys in a multitude of roles, including offensive quality control coach, assistant offensive line coach and tight ends coach.

Phillips then served as the Washington Commanders' tight ends coach from 2014-18 before McVay hired him to take on the same role with the Rams in 2019.

McVay elevated him to passing game coordinator this past season in addition to the continuation of his role as tight ends coach.

The L.A. passing game thrived in 2021 following the acquisition of quarterback Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions.

With Phillips serving as passing game coordinator, Stafford threw for 4,886 yards, 41 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. Also, Cooper Kupp enjoyed one of the greatest seasons ever by an NFL wide receiver with 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns, all of which led the league.

Phillips will have plenty of talent to work with in Minnesota as well, including running back Dalvin Cook and wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen.

He will also be tasked with helping veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins get the Vikes back to the playoffs after missing out in each of the past two seasons.

Cousins is a divisive figure among fans, but he was named a Pro Bowler for the third time last season and completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 4,221 yards, 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Phillips has coaching in his genes, as his father Wade Phillips was head coach of the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills and Cowboys in addition to being defensive coordinator for several teams.

Also, his grandfather Bum Phillips was an NFL head coach for 11 seasons with the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints.

While Wade and Bum were both defensive coaches, Wes Phillips his carving out his own path on the offensive side of the ball, and he has the biggest opportunity of his career ahead of him in Minnesota.