NFC North

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he was hoping the front office would make some moves before Tuesday's NFL trade deadline, but he understands why general manager Brian Gutekunst opted to stand pat.

"That's not my area of focus," Rodgers told reporters Wednesday. "Brian didn't think whatever was out there was worth whatever was required of what was given up. That just sends a message to us that we've got to play with the guys we've got and win with the guys we've got."

He added: "The compensation for whatever players we were going after just didn't make sense. So I trust Brian, and we had some good conversations. We were in on some things. It just didn't pan out."

Green Bay lost two of its top three wide receivers over the offseason. Davante Adams, Rodgers' longtime top target, was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders and Marquez Valdes-Scantling signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency.

It left the two-time defending NFL MVP with a rebuilt receiver room, and he hasn't been afraid to call out the lack of reliability from the group during the first half of the 2022 season.

Last week, Rodgers explained on the Pat McAfee Show (via Kevin Patra of NFL.com) he felt it was time to start rotating out players who continued to make mental errors.

"Guys who are making too many mistakes shouldn't be playing, you know," he said. "Gotta start cutting some reps, and maybe guys who aren't playing, give them a chance."

The lackluster play from the receiving corps also raised questions about whether the Packers would make a blockbuster trade to upgrade that area of the roster before the deadline.

That didn't happen despite the team's 3-5 record and underwhelming production from the typically strong offense, which ranks 26th in points per game (18.1).

Instead, Gutekunst and Co. are betting on continued improvement from rookies Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, who's coming off an impressive performance in Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills, alongside veterans Allen Lazard and Sammy Watkins.

The one remaining path to a high-profile wideout boost would be signing free agent Odell Beckham Jr., who's recovering from a torn ACL suffered in February's Super Bowl.

OBJ remains without a firm timetable to make his 2022 debut, however, and Jeff Howe of The Athletic previously reported the three-time Pro Bowler is waiting until he's closer to full strength to make a decision about where to sign to ensure he's entering the best situation.

Going to Green Bay would present an opportunity for Beckham to earn a key role, but it's unclear whether the Packers will be able to bounce back to make the playoffs, which could limit the opportunity to prove his health before likely re-entering the free-agent market.

So the Packers may play the remainder of the campaign with their current group of wideouts, which could continue to limit the team's offensive upside unless the likes of Doubs and Watson make significant strides during the second half of the season.

Rodgers and Co. are back in action Sunday when they visit Ford Field to take on the NFC North rival Detroit Lions.

The Green Bay Packers might be sending a message to Aaron Rodgers in their lack of activity before Tuesday's trade deadline, as one opposing general manager told Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post:

The league is really changing, and if you are trying to win, then you've got to be willing to part with picks and be more aggressive. But they also might be looking at it like they just gave their quarterback $50 million [a year] and he isn't like [Drew] Brees or [Tom] Brady. There wasn't any discount so they could spread it around to other guys. He wanted every penny, and they might be sending a message back to him now.

The Packers fell to 3-5 with their fourth straight loss in Week 8, but they didn't make any upgrades at the deadline to help out Rodgers.

"Must be a f--ked up place," a different GM told La Canfora.

After multiple years of uncertainty over his future, Rodgers signed a contract extension last offseason that made him the highest-paid player in the NFL with an average annual salary of $50.3 million per year. The new deal came after the quarterback earned the MVP award in each of the past two years, giving him four for his career.

Unfortunately, the Packers also traded away All-Pro receiver Davante Adams, while also losing Marquez Valdes-Scantling to free agency. It left the offense with limited experience at receiver, relying on Allen Lazard and rookies Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson.

The result is an offense that ranks 22nd in the league in passing and 26th in points per game.

Rodgers ranks 27th out of 33 qualified passers with a 38.2 Total QBR.

An impact receiver like Chase Claypool—who was traded to the Chicago Bears—might have helped the Packers, but the team stood pat at the deadline.

Rodgers will now have to try to turn things around himself after a slow start to the season.

The Green Bay Packers reportedly offered the Steelers a second-round pick for wide receiver Chase Claypool before Pittsburgh traded him to the Chicago Bears.

Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported the Steelers chose the Bears' offer because the Pittsburgh front office believes the Chicago pick will be higher than Green Bay's. The Bears and Packers enter Week 9 with matching 3-5 records.

Chicago's trade for Claypool came as a bit of a shock after the team was seemingly setting itself up for a rebuild. The Bears traded linebacker Roquan Smith and defensive end Robert Quinn before the deadline, sending a signal they were sellers rather than buyers.

Green Bay, meanwhile, was linked to nearly every wideout on the market but ultimately stood pat—locking Aaron Rodgers into arguably the worst receiving corps of his career. No Packers pass catcher has more than 340 yards this season, and Rodgers hasn't topped 255 passing yards in a single game.

After winning back-to-back MVPs with Davante Adams hauling in 100-plus catches, Rodgers has looked like a shell of himself in a moribund offense.

If the Packers' deadline was Claypool-or-bust, they didn't do nearly enough to ensure he'd be making the trip from Pittsburgh to Green Bay. Adding a Day 3 pick to the mix might have been enough to create the difference between where the Bears' and Packers' second-round picks are expected to fall.

Regardless, it's borderline inexcusable for the front office to saddle its 38-year-old MVP quarterback with this group of receivers, especially given the Packers are winners of three straight divisions and came into this season considered a Super Bowl contender.

Fans wanted a trade. Aaron Rodgers wanted a trade.

The Green Bay Packers front office, apparently, did not.

The Packers were unable to complete a trade for an offensive difference-maker by Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline and watched idly as the rival Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears each made blockbuster deals.

"I was kinda hoping there might be some news during this show that we can break," a seemingly disappointed Rodgers said during his weekly appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.

Meanwhile, the Vikings added tight end T.J. Hockenson and the Bears acquired Chase Claypool—with Chicago seemingly scooping the Packers in the process.

Suffice it to say there were tweets.

Many of them.

The Packers have spent most of the season struggling mightily to find consistency in their passing game after trading Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders. Rodgers, coming off back-to-back MVP seasons, is currently 27th in QBR and hasn't topped 255 passing yards in a game all season.

The trade-deadline punting is arguably par for the course for the Packers, who have consistently declined to make moves aimed at immediate improvement. Much of Rodgers' falling out with the organization in 2020 and 2021 was related to draft moves that showed no urgency—particularly the decision to take quarterback Jordan Love in the 2020 first round.

This quiet deadline is more of the same, and it appears fans are fed up.

The Chicago Bears' passing game should regain some relevance in the fantasy football world after the team acquired wide receiver Chase Claypool from the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of Tuesday's 2022 NFL trade deadline.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Bears sent their second-round pick in the 2023 draft to the Steelers for the third-year wideout.

Let's analyze how the deal could impact Claypool's fantasy stock along with those of Chicago quarterback Justin Fields and receiver Darnell Mooney.

Justin Fields

Fantasy managers who took a late-round flier on Fields with hope of a breakout year so far haven't been rewarded for their investment.

The 2021 first-round selection is tied for 18th among quarterbacks in average scoring (15.3 points per game), including a couple of clunkers below 10 points early in the season.

He's started to show some signs of fantasy life over the past two weeks, topping 20 points in road games against the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys, and now he gets another high-upside target to work with for the season's second half.

Fields' rushing production—424 yards and three touchdowns—gives him a strong fantasy baseline most weeks, but the potential for a more pass-heavy game plan with Claypool in the mix makes him an intriguing stash in leagues where he's been dropped.

It wouldn't be a shock if the Bears quarterback ranks inside of the top 10 in fantasy scoring at the position for the remainder of the 2022 campaign.

Chase Claypool

Claypool enjoyed a terrific rookie season for the Steelers in 2020, tallying 62 catches for 873 yards and nine touchdowns in 16 games.

His TD production dipped last year, with just two scores in 15 appearances, but he otherwise remained reliable with 59 receptions for 860 yards.

Pittsburgh's struggling passing attack, which is a major reason why it owns a 2-6 record, and a crowded receiver room led by Diontae Johnson and George Pickens caused his numbers to dip this season, and it made him expendable ahead of the deadline.

It'll probably take a few weeks for Claypool to get up to full speed within the Bears offense, so don't expect a sudden, massive uptick in fantasy production. But like Fields, he's worth grabbing off waivers if any frustrated managers cut him loose.

Claypool should be firmly in the flex conversation moving forward, and he could even become a solid No. 2 fantasy wideout if he emerges as the clear top option in Chicago.

Darnell Mooney

Mooney is the toughest situation to analyze in Chicago because it's unclear how Claypool's arrival will impact his target share.

On one hand, any serious competition for looks from Fields could create problems for a team averaging an NFL-low 20 passes per game. If that number doesn't budge, it's possible the 25-year-old Tulane product lands firmly on the fantasy bench.

Yet, Tuesday's trade suggests the Bears may be angling for a more air-based offense in the coming weeks, and Mooney, who's been pretty much the only threat to opposing secondaries so far, could now see more single coverage.

So there's definitely a path for Mooney to get back on track after a frustrating first half of the season, which came after he posted 1,055 yards in 2021.

Some uncertainty is still baked into his fantasy outlook since it's unclear who'll get the most targets once Claypool becomes fully involved in the offense, but now might be the time to make a modest trade offer to see if an impatient manager is willing to deal.

The Detroit Lions traded tight end T.J. Hockenson to the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday, a surprising in-division trade.

So for fantasy players, the obvious question is whether Hockenson's fantasy value will see a boost in Minnesota?

For starters, there won't be any questions about Hockenson's fit next to Irv Smith Jr., as he is set to be sidelined for potentially the remainder of the regular season.

But looking at Smith's fit in Minnesota's offense could offer more insight into the type of role Hockenson will play.

Smith is currently third on the Vikings in targets, at 33, well behind Justin Jefferson (71) and Adam Thielen (50) and narrowly edging out K.J. Osborn (31). Smith turned those looks into 22 receptions for 168 yards and two touchdowns for a solid if unspectacular 7.3 points per game in PPR formats.

Hockenson is the better player, turning 43 targets into 26 catches for 395 yards and three scores for an average of 12.2 points per week. The Lions, however, often find themselves chasing big deficits and are throwing the ball around late in games. There are plenty of garbage-time points up for grabs, in other words.

The Vikings, on the other hand, are 6-1. Hockenson finds himself on a better overall offense, with an upgrade at quarterback, and the hope will be that his red-zone targets increase. Those garbage-time points may go away, however.

Still, Hockenson is a talented player on a dangerous offense. It's fair to question whether he'll see a serious uptick in his production, but he's a no-brainer TE1 regardless. Start him without concern. Just don't be shocked if his Minnesota numbers look fairly similar to his Detroit numbers.

Wide receiver Jordy Nelson and offensive lineman Josh Sitton will be immortalized by the Green Bay Packers for their contributions to the franchise.

The Packers announced Tuesday that both players will be inducted into the team's Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Lambeau Field Atrium on Aug. 31, 2023.

Nelson and Sitton are two of the most important Packers players from the last 15 years. They were both selected by the team in the 2008 NFL draft. Nelson was their top pick at No. 36 overall after they traded their first-round pick (No. 30) to the New York Jets.

Sitton spent the first eight seasons of his career in Green Bay. He was a backup guard for most of his rookie season before being moved into the starting lineup in 2009. The Central Florida alum started all 125 games he played with the Packers from 2009-15, including the playoffs.

After beginning his career on the right side of the offensive line, Sitton's move to left guard before the 2013 season unlocked a new level of performance. He was named to the All-Pro team in three consecutive years from 2013-15, with one first-team selection in 2014.

Nelson had a slow start to his career, making only six starts from 2008-10. He had a breakout 2011 season with 1,263 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns.

Before Davante Adams became the go-to guy in Green Bay, Nelson was Aaron Rodgers' favorite target for a number of years. He averaged 119.8 targets, 79.4 receptions, 1,219.6 yards and 11.4 touchdowns per season from 2011-16.

After missing the entire 2015 season because of a torn ACL, Nelson won Comeback Player of the Year in 2016 with 1,257 yards and an NFL-high 14 touchdowns. He played for the Packers from 2008-17 before moving to the Oakland Raiders for his final season in 2018.

Both players were starters on the Packers' 2010 team that defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-25, in Super Bowl XLV. Nelson set a franchise Super Bowl record with 140 receiving yards in the game.

Cincinnati Bengals offensive analyst Adam Zimmer, the son of former Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, died Monday at the age of 38.

His sister, Corri Zimmer White, announced the news in an Instagram post Tuesday.

No further information about his death was immediately released.

Bengals president Mike Brown expressed condolences in a statement Tuesday:

Zimmer played college football at Trinity University from 2002 through 2005 before he began his coaching career as an assistant linebackers coach with the New Orleans Saints in 2006, winning a Super Bowl title with the franchise at the end of the 2009 season.

The Utah native also spent time with the Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs before joining his father's staff as the Vikings' linebackers coach in 2014. He was promoted to co-defensive coordinator alongside Andre Patterson in 2020.

Minnesota revamped its entire coaching staff last offseason after firing Mike Zimmer following an 8-9 season, which marked a second straight year out of the playoffs.

Adam Zimmer rejoined the Bengals' coaching group in July, taking on an offensive role for the first time in his career.

Cincinnati's next game is scheduled for Sunday at home against the Carolina Panthers.

The struggling offense has gotten much of the attention for the Green Bay Packers, but there are reportedly some concerns on the defensive side as well.

"According to sources close to members of the Packers defense, players have grown frustrated with the defensive scheme and play-calling," ESPN's Rob Demovsky reported. "One source said there has been 'a declining confidence in the defensive scheme and what's being called, and it's led to overall frustration with the defense.' Another source confirmed that sentiment."

The report comes after a fourth consecutive loss for a team that was a presumed Super Bowl contender coming into the season.

Green Bay is 3-5 overall after Sunday's 27-17 defeat to the Buffalo Bills, and head coach Matt LaFleur was asked about whether he will consider moving on from defensive coordinator Joe Barry.

"Oh, no, absolutely not," LaFleur said of the defensive coordinator.

Demovsky noted Buffalo scored on five straight drives during the contest as it gradually pulled away. The Packers are now 16th in the league in points allowed per game at 21.6.

Barry was also the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions for two seasons in 2007 and 2008 and two seasons in Washington in 2015 and 2016. None of those units finished better than 28th in the league in total yards allowed.

The defensive issues are all the more pressing because the offense is also struggling after trading star wide receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders this past offseason.

Aaron Rodgers and Co. have scored more than 22 points just twice all season, and the quarterback has been critical of his teammates at times. It is a far cry from the group that won the last three straight NFC North championships and reached the NFC title game in two of the last three years.

Rodgers is an all-time great, but the one biggest criticism of his career is that he has just one Super Bowl appearance and title. That came back in the 2010 campaign, and it doesn't seem like this team is destined to break the streak of failures to win the Lombardi Trophy.