NFC North

Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning warned Aaron Rodgers that leaving the Green Bay Packers may not yield the desired results.

Manning, who played all 16 of his NFL seasons with the Giants, told ESPN's Rob Demovsky that people he spoke with late in his career said a fresh start could turn into a negative:

It was important for me to finish my career with the Giants, and I would think it would be important for him as well, just because of the legacy that he has, the history of Green Bay, being there as long as he has been, winning a championship and winning MVPs. It's not always greener on the other side. That's what I had learned from talking to other people. You can go somewhere, and it's not necessarily going to be better; it's probably going to be worse.

Manning's future was up in the air ahead of the 2019 season. The Giants had selected fellow signal-caller Daniel Jones with the sixth overall pick in the draft, which signaled a changing of the guard at the position and raised questions about whether the likely future Hall of Famer would seek his release.

He opted to remain in New York, playing four games in 2019 as the transition to Jones began, and then retired in early 2020.

The key factor is the Giants allowed him to control his fate. The same was true for his brother Peyton Manning, who won a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos after the Indianapolis Colts let him enter free agency after drafting Andrew Luck. As well, Tom Brady captured his record seventh title last year after signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent following two decades with the New England Patriots.

That may not be the case for Rodgers, who's under contract with the Packers for 2022 as part of his four-year, $134 million contract. Green Bay's front office would likely prefer a trade that would help accelerate roster reconstruction.

Manning told ESPN a trade "you would not think would end real good for him" since the Packers probably wouldn't want him in the NFC, which could complicate matters:

If Aaron leaves, it's probably going to be his own call. It's going to be his decision, saying, 'I want out of here.' That's what he basically said last year is he wanted to get out. I think it's strange to want to leave someplace where you've been your whole life and to leave for the last two years or whatever it may be of your playing career. Obviously, Tom did it and he had success, but you want to make sure it's the right spot. You can go somewhere and not be any good. I think with Tom, he had the chance to look around. And Peyton, they had free reign as free agents to decide, 'This is the spot to go, this is a good team with a good defense and good receivers.'

Under that scenario, Rodgers may end up in an AFC loaded with young quarterback talent, led by the Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen, Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow, Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson and Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert.

Competing with that group in the playoffs every year doesn't guarantee success.

The outlook changes if Rodgers and the Packers come to a mutual agreement on either a release or allowing him to pick where he lands in a trade as long as that team is willing to offer a fair deal.

Manning's overall point holds true, though. A 38-year-old quarterback who's switching teams comes with potential downsides, especially since he's coming off winning the 2020 MVP Award and is the likely winner of the 2021 MVP honor as well.

Rodgers didn't make any definitive statements after the team's playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, saying he's going to "take some time and have conversations with the folks around here" before making a decision about his future.

The situation should receive some clarity before the new league year begins March 16.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wide receiver Davante Adams reportedly have interest in teaming up on the Denver Broncos.

Jordan Schultz of Boardroom reported on the possibility and noted why the Broncos are the team that could best accommodate both players:

Schultz noted that the relationship between Rodgers and the Packers is "severed" and Adams is "frustrated" with the Packers' treatment of the quarterback, who is his close friend.

In addition, Schultz reported that Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett is considered the favorite to land the Broncos' head coaching job after interviewing with them for eight hours, which would further strengthen the ties.

Rodgers and the Packers came to an agreement during training camp that resulted in a reworked deal and his reporting and playing in 2021 despite some of the issues he had with the organization.

The future Hall of Fame quarterback agreed to play provided he would be given a say in his NFL future beyond the 2021 campaign. He won't be a free agent until after the 2022 season, so his options are: return to the Packers, retire or ask for a trade.

Green Bay used the year to work on repairing its relationship with Rodgers, but it is unclear if anything changed.

Despite being the No. 1 seed in the NFC, Rodgers and the Packers were ousted by the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round, thus ending their season in disappointment once again.

Rodgers was noncommittal about his future after the loss, saying only that he would make a decision before free agency.

Decisions also have to be made regarding Adams, who is set to become a free agent this offseason.

The Packers could prevent the receiver from signing anywhere else by placing the franchise tag on him, but if they lose Rodgers, a rebuild could be in the cards.

Schultz noted that Green Bay could send Adams to Denver as part of a sign-and-trade deal that might yield a first-round pick and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, who was the Broncos' first-round selection in 2020.

The Broncos have not reached the playoffs since 2015 and have cycled through several quarterbacks since Peyton Manning's retirement following that Super Bowl-winning season, so there is no doubt they would have interest in Rodgers if he had a desire to join them.

Rodgers is a 10-time Pro Bowler, one-time Super Bowl champion and might be on the verge of becoming a four-time NFL MVP. Even at age 38, he would make Denver an instant contender.

Due in part to Rodgers, Adams has developed into one of the top wideouts in the game.

The 29-year-old has been named a Pro Bowler in each of the past five seasons and a First Team All-Pro in each of the past two.

After setting a career high with 18 touchdown catches in 2020, he set career highs in 2021 with 123 receptions for 1,553 yards while also making 11 touchdown grabs.

The Rodgers-Adams combo would become an instant threat in an AFC West that has been dominated by Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in recent years, but nothing can happen until Rodgers makes his decision.

Pat McAfee might be playing the role of Jim Gray this NFL offseason.

Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers told McAfee on Tuesday that he might announce a decision about his future on The Pat McAfee Show or in person with the former Indianapolis Colts punter.

Referencing the uncertainty about his next move, Rodgers told McAfee that "everything is definitely on the table," be it retirement, returning to the Packers or suiting up for another team.

The 10-time Pro Bowler is due to earn $46.4 million next season, so retirement seems unlikely, especially in light of a loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round. That would be an underwhelming last act for an NFL legend.

But ESPN's Adam Schefter reported last July that Rodgers—despite being under contract for one more year—would have the opportunity to pursue an exit from Green Bay this offseason. He negotiated the concession from the team as part of an agreement securing his return to the franchise.

If the 38-year-old wants to continue his career, there's no guarantee it will be with the Packers.

As a result, the NFL's version of The Decision could be unfolding before our eyes if multiple suitors have the opportunity to make a play for the future Hall of Famer.

If Aaron Rodgers is going to retire this offseason, the Green Bay Packers star wants to be sure of his decision.

Rodgers said Tuesday on The Pat McAfee Show he plans to weigh a number of factors when he considers his future in the NFL. He added that "one thing I would not do—100 percent will not do—is retire and then come back a year later."

He added he wants to act expediently, though, so he doesn't put the Packers in a difficult position this offseason:

The 38-year-old acknowledged retirement is a possibility along with a variety of outcomes in the months ahead. He did, however, cast doubt on whether he'd become a free agent, which would require the Packers to eat at least $19.2 million in dead money.

Rodgers has continued to play at a high level. He threw for 4,115 yards and 37 touchdowns and is likely to collect his fourth MVP award. Between that and a disappointing exit in the NFC divisional round, him walking away from the sport altogether would be a surprising conclusion this offseason.

In terms of his overall legacy, the 10-time Pro Bowler doesn't have anything left to prove. The ship has probably sailed on him usurping Tom Brady for the greatest of all time.

But Rodgers could be keen to write a different final chapter to his career than losing at home as the top seed before even getting to the conference championship.

Heading into the 2021 season, Rodgers and the Packers had a protracted standoff, one that raised questions over his future both in Green Bay and the NFL as a whole. No storyline surrounding the league was bigger last summer.

Once again, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst is left having to plan for a number of contingencies centered around his starting quarterback. If Rodgers is true to his word, though, all of the involved parties could know exactly where they stand before the meat of the offseason begins.

The Minnesota Vikings appear to have landed on a favorite for their vacant general manager position.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Vikings are "expected to work to hire" Cleveland Browns vice president of football operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.

According to Rapoport, Adofo-Mensah is "the final finalist" for the Vikings, and the team is interviewing him for a second time.

ESPN's Courtney Cronin reported Adofo-Mensah is "meeting with various departments" in Minnesota and his interview could wrap up around 5 p.m. local time. 

After back-to-back losing seasons, including an 8-9 mark in 2021, the Vikings cleaned house by firing head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman. 

Spielman had been in the position since 2012. He was in his 16th season with the Vikings after being hired as vice president of player personnel in 2006. 

When Minnesota promoted Spielman to general manager, he became the first person in the organization with that official title since Mike Lynn in the 1980s. 

Ownership had given final authority on roster decisions to the head coach before Spielman took over as GM. The 59-year-old helped guide the Vikings to four playoff appearances in that role, including an appearance in the 2017 NFC Championship Game. 

Adofo-Mensah had his first interview with the Vikings last week. The 40-year-old has spent the past two seasons as the Browns vice president of football operations. 

Prior to joining the Browns, Adofo-Mensah spent seven seasons working in the San Francisco 49ers front office. He was their manager of football research and development from 2013 to 2017 and director of football research and development in 2018 and 2019.    

Breaking news: The Green Bay Packers head coach wants the likely back-to-back MVP of the league to run his offense once again in 2022.

Matt LaFleur spoke to reporters during Monday's end-of-season press conference and said "there's no debate" within senior officials in the front office that everyone wants Aaron Rodgers back at quarterback next season.

"We're all on the same page here," he added.

Rodgers' future with the Packers is far from a new topic, considering it was a primary NFL storyline before the 2021 campaign.

There was uncertainty about whether he would play for the Packers, report to training camp or perhaps even retire altogether until he eventually did return to the only NFL team he has ever suited up for. However, he voiced his frustration about a number of topics, including how the front office handled certain decisions and his lack of a long-term commitment from the team.

While the 38-year-old continued to make waves off the field during the 2021 season by misleading people about his vaccination status to his headline-making weekly appearances on The Pat McAfee Show, there was no questioning his ability on it.

The reigning league MVP completed 68.9 percent of his passes for 4,115 yards, 37 touchdowns and four interceptions and led the 13-4 Packers to the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

However, he once again failed to differentiate himself from the likes of Rex Grossman, Nick Foles and Jimmy Garoppolo by reaching the Super Bowl from the NFC for a second time in his career when he and Green Bay lost 13-10 to the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs.

That put his future with the organization into question again, especially since he told reporters following the loss Saturday: "I don't want to be part of a rebuild if I'm going to keep playing."

ESPN's Adam Schefter noted Green Bay is projected to be $44.8 million over the salary cap this offseason even before deciding what to do with wide receiver Davante Adams. A rebuild isn't out of the question with that cap number, although having Rodgers, who signed through 2023, would change the ceiling of the 2022 team.

LaFleur also clarified on Monday "there is no plan for a rebuild."

That will surely give Rodgers something to think about this offseason, but the organization clearly wants him back.         

Questions continue to emerge about Aaron Rodgers after another disappointing playoff exit for the Green Bay Packers.

One veteran coach blamed the quarterback's off-field activities for the team's struggles, per Mike Sando of The Athletic:

Rodgers wants to talk about vaccine mandates and cancel culture, while Brady talks about all ball. Rodgers loves the standing invite on the A.J. Hawk show (Pat McAfee Show) and he wants to talk about cancel culture, woke mob and every other thing that doesn’t do anything but splinter and unfocus the group. To me, Rodgers doesn’t show the focus that it really takes to win the multiple championships.

ESPN's Kevin Van Valkenburg published an extensive look at Rodgers on Friday, featuring a discussion about COVID-19 vaccines, President Joe Biden, Ayn Rand and more.

"I don't want to apologize for being myself," Rodgers said. "I just want to be myself."

Tom Brady has seven Super Bowl titles but is not solely "all ball" as the anonymous coach in The Athletic article described. Just earlier this month, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers star gave an interview to Clay Skipper of GQ to promote his new lifestyle brand and clothing line. 

On Saturday, the Packers were eliminated from the playoffs after a 13-10 upset loss to the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field. The Buccaneers suffered a 30-27 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

The disappointment has been more common for the Packers, however. It was the second straight year they earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC but failed to reach the Super Bowl. The team has won 13 games in three straight seasons but went just 2-3 in the playoffs during this stretch.

Rodgers led the Packers to a championship after the 2010 season, but the team hasn't made it to the Super Bowl since.

There have been no issues for the quarterback in the regular season as the favorite to win his second straight MVP award. Rodgers finished the year with 4,115 passing yards, 37 touchdowns, four interceptions and a league-best 111.9 passer rating.