NFC North

The Green Bay Packers are reportedly set on keeping Aaron Rodgers in 2022 and hopeful he wants to stay with the team moving forward.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler appeared Sunday on SportsCenter and updated the ongoing situation. 

"I'm told the Packers brass has been adamant, both publicly and privately, that they want Aaron Rodgers back and that they're all on the same page," Fowler said. "GM Brian Gutekunst has expressed that to Rodgers. Head coach Matt LeFleur has expressed that to Rodgers. They've been out full front and in public about that, but also I've been told they've had some meetings with Rodgers, but it's been, you know, not too intense yet.

"They've kind of recapped the season, maybe talk about the direction of the team, some of the pieces they like. But, nothing out of the ordinary that they wouldn't do in a normal year. And so, it's my sense that the Packers are going to give Rodgers space a little bit, kind of like they did last year. You know, they wanted to let him kind of shake out his future, shape his future. They know that he has options because this is a guy with one year left, one true year at $46 million in salary cap hit in 2022. So, if he stays, they most likely have to redo his contract. And asking around, even dating back to last offseason when things were crazy, not once did I ever hear that the Packers had hard plans to trade Aaron Rodgers. So, they're trying to keep a united front and the same message right now that they did last year."

Rodgers and the Packers came to a mutual understanding they would reassess his future as part of a restructured contract agreement signed at the beginning of training camp. The reigning MVP held out the entire offseason training program in hopes of forcing his way out of Green Bay amid a falling out with Packers management, specifically general manager Brian Gutekunst.

The relationship between the two sides seemingly repaired itself over the course of the 2021 season, with Rodgers again putting up MVP-caliber numbers before an upset loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round. 

This offseason is essentially make-or-break in regards to Rodgers' future with the franchise. While he can technically become a free agent in 2023, his $46.7 million cap hold is untenable. The Packers, who are $46.4 million over the projected cap for 2022, will need Rodgers to sign an extension that significantly lowers his cap number if they have any hope of retaining free agents—most notably wide receiver Davante Adams.

If Rodgers wants out, the Packers will have little choice but to acquiesce to his trade demand. Trading him would save them $26.9 million on their 2022 cap, giving them significant flexibility to rebuild the roster around Jordan Love. 

Rodgers has said he will not allow the decision regarding his future linger, making it likely he finalizes his plans for 2022 in the coming weeks. 

Eric Metz, the agent for Pittsburgh Steelers secondary coach Teryl Austin, alleged Wednesday that the Detroit Lions interviewed Austin for their vacant head coaching position in 2018 despite knowing they intended to hire Matt Patricia.

Austin was the Lions' defensive coordinator at the time, and the interview occurred following the firing of Jim Caldwell. Metz told Will Graves of the Associated Press: "[Former Lions general manager] Bob Quinn knew he was hiring Matt Patricia and used Teryl to comply with the Rooney Rule. Didn't work out well for the Lions. Never should've fired Jim Caldwell."

The Rooney Rule has been in place since 2003, and it currently requires NFL teams to interview at least two external candidates from historically excluded groups for vacant head coaching jobs.

Austin, who is Black, was Detroit's defensive coordinator from 2014 to 2017. Caldwell, who is also Black, was Detroit's head coach during those seasons and led the Lions to a 36-28 record and two playoff appearances in his four-year stint.

Despite that, the Lions fired Caldwell and hired Patricia, who went 13-29-1 in parts of three seasons before he was relieved of his duties.

Austin spent one season as defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals after the Lions hired Patricia, and he has been part of the Steelers' staff since 2019.

While Austin has had several head coaching interviews during his NFL career, he has yet to be hired. Austin can only speculate on why he has been passed over: "It always leaves you wondering what happened, why you didn't get it. You can’t say for sure [if race was a factor]. ... Maybe I'm not what the owners see when they look in the mirror and they see leadership positions."

Some teams still need to fill their head coaching positions, but Mike Tomlin of the Steelers is currently the only Black head coach in the NFL, and there are only three head coaches of color in all.

Brian Flores, who was fired as head coach of the Miami Dolphins at the conclusion of the 2021 regular season despite back-to-back winning seasons, spoke out against alleged racial discrimination in the NFL head coach hiring process this week.

Flores filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL and its teams this week. As part of his filing, Flores mentioned the Lions' firing of Caldwell despite his success and the subsequent hiring of Patricia over Austin and other Black candidates as evidence of racism in the league's hiring practices.

Flores also included text messages sent to him by New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick as evidence that the Giants had chosen their head coach before interviewing him.

The timing of the texts is key since Belichick seemed to know Daboll was getting the Giants' job even though Flores hadn't interviewed yet.

Flores went through with the interview, but the Giants did indeed hire Daboll.

Austin's agent suggested he experienced something similar with the Lions in 2018, and it stands to reason that many more coaches from historically excluded groups could come forward with similar stories of NFL teams that were apparently going through the motions to satisfy the Rooney Rule.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is reportedly building a home in Tennessee, and he's "open" to joining the Titans during the 2022 NFL offseason.

Jared Stillman of ESPN Nashville reported the update Wednesday:

Rodgers' status with the Packers will be one of the NFL's top stories for the second successive summer. He stayed away from the organization for most of last offseason amid a flurry of trade rumors, but he returned for the start of training camp to end the standoff.

The 38-year-old Cal product is likely set to win his second straight MVP Award after a 2021 campaign in which he threw 37 touchdowns and just four interceptions in 16 games.

He's under contract with Green Bay for next season as part of a four-year, $134 million deal, but it features a likely untenable $46.7 million cap hit for 2022. The Packers are a projected $50.8 million over the salary cap heading into the offseason, per OverTheCap.

Rodgers made it clear after the Packers were eliminated from the playoffs by the San Francisco 49ers he holds no interest in playing for a team not focused on Super Bowl contention.

"I don't want to be a part of a rebuild if I'm going to keep playing," he told reporters.

It creates a complex situation because Green Bay will have limited roster flexibility to retain or sign players if Rodgers remains at his current cap figure.

If he's going to leave, the front office would obviously prefer a multi-team bidding war to maximize the return in a trade, but the quarterback will hold some leverage to pick his new team since he'll probably have to restructure his contract to make it work.

The Titans make sense on paper, as they finished as the top seed in the AFC with a 12-5 record before getting upset by the eventual AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round. If you combine a Rodgers-led passing game with a Derrick Henry-led rushing attack, it'll be a nightmare for opposing defenses.

Rodgers' new house isn't directly related to interest in the Titans, though. Brent Dougherty of 104.5 The Zone reported the QB's plan to build in the Nashville area has been in the works for "a while":

The difficulty for Tennessee would be the presence of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who's under contract through 2023 with a potential dead cap of $57.4 million for 2022. That figure could be reduced to $29 million over two years with a post-June 1 trade, but it's unclear whether Green Bay would be interested in him or would want to move forward with Jordan Love in a post-Rodgers era. It could necessitate a third team getting involved.

So there are a lot of moving parts that would need to get resolved before Rodgers could land in Tennessee, and if his sole focus is winning a Super Bowl, the path of least resistance likely resides in the NFC given the incredible amount of young quarterback talent in the AFC.

The Titans would certainly still be a top-tier championship contender if they land the 10-time Pro Bowl selection, though.

Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes confirmed Thursday that he is willing to trade the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft for the right price.

Holmes said he is "never scared to move around" and is "open for business" while speaking to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero at the Senior Bowl:

Detroit posted a 3-13-1 mark in 2021, which was its first season under head coach Dan Campbell and its first season without quarterback Matthew Stafford, who was traded to the Los Angeles Rams and subsequently led L.A. to the Super Bowl.

Part of the package that came back in return for Stafford was quarterback Jared Goff, who had an up-and-down season in 2021. He went 3-10-1 as a starter and completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 3,245 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Holmes praised Goff for playing well down the stretch but also said Goff has to "prove it" during the offseason and preseason, and that he'll have to come in and compete. That suggests he isn't guaranteed to be the starter in 2022.

The Lions would normally be a prime candidate to take a quarterback second overall, but the 2022 draft class is considered a weak one for signal-callers.

As of now, there is no quarterback who is considered clearly worthy of a top-five pick, which is in stark contrast to last year when Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields and Mac Jones all came off the board in the top 15. Lawrence, Wilson and Lance went one-two-three.

Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett, Ole Miss' Matt Corral, Liberty's Malik Willis, North Carolina's Sam Howell and Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder are some of the quarterbacks who have a chance to be first-round picks this year.

Taking any of them would be considered a major reach at second overall, though, which could compel the Lions to trade down if they are committed to getting a quarterback in the first round.

Detroit has a lot of holes to fill on both sides of the ball, and trading down could net an extra first-round pick. The Lions already have two first-rounders this year, as they acquired the Rams' first-round selection in the Stafford trade, which will be either 31st or 32nd overall depending on the result of the Super Bowl.

If the Lions stay put at No. 2 overall, Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux stand out as the likeliest selections.

Detroit ranked 30th in sacks this past season, and either Hutchinson or Thibodeaux would provide a massive boost to the Lions' pass rush. Given that both are considered game-changing pass-rushers with the potential to be elite, it will likely take a lot to convince Holmes to move out of that No. 2 position.

The Chicago Bears are reportedly interviewing former Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady for a staff position.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported Brady would interview for a spot on Matt Eberflus' staff but did not disclose the position. 

The Bears already hired Luke Getsy as their offensive coordinator. 

The Panthers fired Brady 12 games into the 2021 season after a 5-7 start. Brady came to Carolina as one of the hottest assistant coaches in football after spearheading LSU's offensive turnaround in 2019 that ended with a national championship.

Brought along with fellow college-to-NFL hire Matt Rhule, Brady struggled to find success in two seasons with the Panthers. Carolina ranked among the worst offenses in football in 2020 and 2021, though it's fair to wonder if personnel was a larger factor than Brady's scheming.

The Panthers jettisoned several veteran players ahead of the 2020 season as part of an organizational retooling under Rhule, and the results have been questionable at best.

Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Darnold, the Panthers' primary starting quarterbacks the past two seasons, are below-average options (at best). Star running back Christian McCaffrey was limited to just 10 games over the last two seasons, which only furthered the talent deficit.

Hiring Brady could be a smart move for Eberflus as he tries building the staff that will be responsible for Justin Fields' development. Matt Nagy failed in his task to scheme around Fields' skill set during a miserable rookie campaign; it's a mistake that can't happen again in 2022.

Some questioned the Bears' decision to hire the defensive-minded Eberflus for that reason, but surrounding himself with offensive minds like Getsy and Brady is a promising start. 

Special teams were a problem for the Green Bay Packers throughout the season, and they proved particularly costly during the team's playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Green Bay is reportedly moving on from special teams coach Maurice Drayton as a result.

Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Tuesday that Drayton is not expected to return.

Green Bay struggled on multiple fronts when it came to special teams.

Kicker Mason Crosby converted 73.5 percent of his field goals, which was the second-worst mark of his career. Punter Corey Bojorquez was a middling 18th in the league with a net average punt yard total of 40.0.

Ben Kotwica of the 33rd Team ranked the Packers as the worst special teams unit in the league during the 2021 campaign. Specifically, they were 32nd in starting field position after a kick and 31st in opponent punt return average and field goal percentage.

In a Dec. 12 game against the Chicago Bears alone, the special teams gave up a 97-yard punt return for a touchdown to Jakeem Grant Sr., failed to recover an onside kick, muffed a key punt before being bailed out by a penalty and muffed a kickoff return out of bounds at the 5-yard line.

Green Bay still managed to win that game, which is more than it can say for its postseason clash with San Francisco.

Crosby's field goal at the end the first half that would have extended the team's lead to 10-0 was blocked, but that was far from the biggest concern. With the Packers leading 10-3 in the final five minutes, San Francisco blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown to swing the momentum for good before kicking a winning field goal two possessions later.

While Aaron Rodgers and the offense were also to blame for the 13-10 loss, the special teams did the Packers no favors throughout the season and crumbled in the biggest moment. It comes as no surprise they are making a change.               

San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans has reportedly declined a second interview for the Minnesota Vikings vacant head coaching position, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Ryans plans to further his development in San Francisco on Kyle Shanahan's staff, Pelissero adds.

The Vikings interviewed Ryans on Jan. 23, and ESPN's Adam Schefter also reported the Las Vegas Raiders had interest in the first-year defensive coordinator before hiring former New England Patriots OC Josh McDaniels as their next head coach. 

Ryans took over as San Francisco's defensive coordinator this season following the departure of Robert Saleh to the New York Jets. Before that, the 37-year-old served as the franchise's defensive quality control coach in 2017 and insider linebackers coach from 2018-20. 

The 49ers defense ranked third in the NFL in total yards allowed, sixth in passing yards allowed, seventh in rushing yards allowed and ninth in points allowed in 2021. It was also pretty solid in playoff games against the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers before allowing 20 points to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game. 

Minnesota is in search of a new head coach after firing Mike Zimmer, who had been head coach since 2014. He went 72-56-1 overall but led the Vikings to just three postseason appearances in his eight years at the helm. 

The Vikings are also reportedly interested in Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, New York Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh. 

In addition to firing Zimmer, the Vikings also fired general manager Rick Spielman. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has since taken over as the franchise's GM. 

Newly hired Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus discussed their high expectations for the organization at their introductory press conference Monday.

Poles notably made a bold prediction about the team:

While Poles will try to build a roster that can win, Eberflus indicated a difference will come from the players.

"We are going to be an effort based team," he told reporters Monday. "That's the number one thing."

"We will play with maximum effort every play," Eberflus added.

Both men also seemed to be on the same page about creating a fast, physical team:

Poles and Eberflus will try to turn things around for the Bears after the team finished 6-11 last season. The organization has just two playoff appearances and zero postseason wins in the last 11 years.

There are exciting pieces on the roster, notably 2021 first-round pick Justin Fields at quarterback, but it will be a challenge to unseat the Green Bay Packers as the three-time defending NFC North champions.

Poles does bring with him a history of success after spending the past 13 years with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was the assistant director of player personnel when the team took home the Super Bowl after the 2019 season.

Eberflus joins the Bears after serving as the Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator for the past four seasons. The squad finished in the top 10 in the NFL in points allowed in three of those four years, including in 2021 when Indianapolis allowed just 21.5 points per game.

After an exhaustive search, the Bears determined these were the two who could help get the team back on track.

"Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus both possessed the qualities we’re looking for in our team: Tough. Gritty. Smart. Opportunistic. Winners," chairman George McCaskey told reporters Monday.

It's now up to Poles and Eberflus to create a winner in Chicago.   

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is headed to the Pro Bowl after replacing Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers on the roster. 

Rodgers is unable to participate due to an unspecified injury.

Cousins finished 2021 with 4,221 passing yards, 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions, good for a 103.1 passer rating that tied for fourth in the NFL among qualified players. 

Rodgers led the NFL with a 111.9 rating after totaling 4,115 passing yards, 37 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He was named first-team All-Pro and is a favorite to win the league's Most Valuable Player Award for the second year in a row.

His team also suffered a disappointing playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers, ruining the Packers' chance at competing for a Super Bowl despite a 13-4 season. With uncertainty surrounding his future with the team, the 13-10 loss might have been the last time we see Rodgers wear a Packers helmet. 

Cousins will take advantage, earning his third career Pro Bowl selection and his second with the Vikings.

With just one more year on his current contract, the 33-year-old could use the resume boost as he looks ahead at his future in the NFL.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Tom Brady and Arizona Cardinals' Kyler Murray were the other NFC quarterbacks selected to the Pro Bowl.