Latest On Aaron Rodgers’ Future
The biggest domino yet to fall in the quarterback market remains Aaron Rodgers. What he decides regarding his playing future – and where he will next be suiting up, most importantly – will be the top storyline in the league, and will have course have a dramatic impact on the rest of the offseason. 
[Related: No Trade Calls On Aaron Rodgers]
Despite the start of the new league year getting closer by the day, the reigning MVP is still “truly torn on where he wants to play in 2022” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). He adds that while staying in Green Bay is a distinct possibility, Rodgers is “going back and forth on what he wants”. Rapoport lists Denver as “the other spot he’d want to be“, which shouldn’t come as a surprise given the degree to which the Broncos were linked to him especially after the hiring of Nathaniel Hackett as head coach.
On that point, Mike Florio of Pro Football talk has reported that the Broncos are among multiple AFC teams which “have trade compensation lined up with the Packers”. He names the Titans and Steelers as other “viable possibilities”, noting that each club, as would be expected, is likely to have a new contract for Rodgers which would “fall into place quickly”. CBS’ Jason La Canfora also reports (via Twitter) that Green Bay has been contacted by those teams, adding that the Packers would ask for a “massive return” if they do trade him.
However, Adam Schefter of ESPN tweets that the Packers are not currently engaged in trade talks of any kind, given that Rodgers still hasn’t made a firm commitment yet. Still, he is quick to add that a deal “will be easy enough” to get done if and when Rodgers asks to be moved.
Earlier this week, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst stated the team has “not at all” been in discussion with interested teams regarding his quarterback. Not long before that, it was reported that the two sides were working on a short-term extension to keep him in Green Bay, while making him the highest-paid player in the league.
If Rodgers sticks to his original intention of making a final decision before the new league year begins on March 16th, a resolution to this situation will be coming sooner rather than later. Regardless of what happens, the ripples of that decision will be felt throughout the league for this season and likely beyond.
Packers Nearing New Deal With Preston Smith?
The Packers have plenty of work to do as they try to get under the salary cap for the 2022 season. One step they can take towards compliance – not to mention keep a key piece to their defense in Green Bay – is giving edge rusher Preston Smith a new contract. 
According to Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline, that could be exactly what happens in the near future. He reports that “things seem to be moving quickly and smoothly” with respect to a new deal. Smith, 29, has one year remaining on his current pact. In part as a result of a 2021 restructure, however, both his salary and cap number are set to spike significantly. He is currently slated to count for just under $20MM against the cap next season.
For that reason, Pauline predicts that any new pact would include “more upfront money” this season as a means of spreading that cap hit over future years. Arriving at a value for said contract could be difficult for the Packers, however. Putting aside their current complicated financial situation, Smith’s 2021 season fell in between his best and worst in Green Bay in terms of production. In 16 games, he totalled 38 tackles, nine sacks and two forced fumbles – better than the previous campaign, but short of his career year in 2019.
Of course, money could be easier to come by for the Packers if they hold true to previous reports that fellow edge rusher Za’Darius Smith won’t be brought back at his current cap figure. Reducing that number (currently set to be $27.6MM) could open the door not only to keeping that Smith in Green Bay, but Preston as well. In any case, Pauline expects a new contract for the latter to be finalized “sooner rather than later”.
Assuming a new deal can be reached, the Packers would be guaranteed at least two-thirds of the pass rush triumvirate consisting of both Smiths and Rashan Gary being in place for 2022. Especially if it were to lower his cap hit, a renegotiated contract would of course also help the team keep as many key pieces in place as they can, in an attempt to keep their Super Bowl window open as long as possible.
Packers GM: No Trade Calls On Aaron Rodgers
The Packers haven’t received any recent trade inquiries on Aaron Rodgers, according to GM Brian Gutekunst (via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com). 
“Not at all,” Gutekunst said when asked if there have been any conversations with rival GMs regarding Rodgers . “Not at all. Not a single person.”
[RELATED: Rodgers, Packers Begin Talks]
That could be because teams are waiting to hear about Rodgers’ decision. For his part, Gutekunst believes that he’ll know more by March 16th when free agency opens.
“I would hope so, yeah,” Gutekunst said. “That’s obviously the start of the new league year. There’s a lot of decisions that have to be made before that. So that would be helpful. I would think we would know something before then.”
It’s also worth noting that Gutekunst has not promised to trade Rodgers, should he push to go elsewhere. The Packers have begun discussing a potential contract with the reigning MVP, in the event that he’s willing to stay in Green Bay. Some have speculated that Rodgers wants to become the highest-paid player in the NFL with a ~$50MM/year salary. For his part, Rodgers says such chatter is “categorically false.”
In any event, a new contract is a must. As it stands, Rodgers is set to count for $46.7MM against the cap in 2022, a figure that would force out wide receiver Davante Adams and several other key veterans. Should Adams reach free agency, he’ll be greeted by top-of-the-market offers from eager suitors like the Raiders and Jaguars.
NFC Coaching Notes: 49ers, Buccaneers, Falcons
After getting canned as Jaguars special teams coordinator, Nick Sorensen has found a new gig in San Francisco. The veteran coach will join the 49ers staff as a defensive assistant, reports Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com. Prior to his one-year stint on the Jaguars coaching staff, Sorensen had a stint with the Seahawks as their special teams assistant and assistant secondary coach.
The 49ers are also hiring Stephen Adegoke as a defensive quality control coach (per Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com). Adegoke last served as a graduate assistant on the University of Michigan’s staff.
Meanwhile, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that veteran running backs coach Bobby Turner is stepping away from his role with the 49ers, although the 72-year-old isn’t necessarily retiring. Turner has been a RBs coach in the NFL since 1995, and he’s been with the 49ers since 2017. Former Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn, who joined the 49ers as assistant head coach, is expected to work closely with the running backs.
More coaching notes out of the NFC…
- The Buccaneers announced that Larry Foote will move from outside linebackers coach to inside linebackers coach (via The Athletic’s Greg Auman on Twitter). Veteran assistant Bob Sanders, who worked with head coach Bruce Arians in Arizona, will be taking over as OLBs coach. Auman also tweets that the Buccaneers hired two new quality control coaches in Jeff Kastl (offense) and Joey Fitzgerald (defense).
- The Commandeers announced today that they’ve promoted four coaches (via Williams): Todd Storm (offensive quality control coach to assistant tight ends coach), Luke Del Rio (offensive quality control coach to assistant quarterbacks coach/offensive quality control), Vincent Rivera (defensive quality control to assistant linebackers coach/defensive quality control), and Cristian Garcia (coaching intern to defensive quality control coach).
- The Falcons are hiring Steven King as a special teams assistant, according to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein (via Twitter). King served as the Tar Heels special teams quality control coach in 2021. He’ll report to Falcons special teams coordinator Marquice Williams.
- Mark DeLeone is out as the Lions inside linebackers coach, reports Tim Twentyman of the team’s website (on Twitter). Kelvin Sheppard, who spent last season as outside linebackers coach, will move to inside linebackers coach. Meanwhile, following the promotion of Ben Johnson to offensive coordinator, Tanner Engstrand will be the Lions new tight ends coach.
- Ramsen Golpashin, who recently served as an offensive line and defensive line analyst with UCLA, will join the Packers staff as an offensive quality control coach, per Bruce Feldman of The Athletic (on Twitter). Golpashin has also become a hot name on the draft circuit, working with top linemen prospects like Ickey Ekwonu and Aidan Hutchinson.
Latest On QB Aaron Rodgers’ Future With Packers
The Packers are preparing for a future where Aaron Rodgers is their quarterback. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), the organization and Rodgers’ representatives have been working on a new contract should the QB stick around Green Bay.
sSpecifically, the two sides are eyeing a short-term deal that would make Rodgers the NFL’s highest-paid player on a per-year basis. Patrick Mahomes currently leads the NFL with a $45MM AAV. Rodgers ranks seventh at $33.5MM.
“Nothing is done, but they are having discussions,” Rapoport said (via NFL.com’s Michael Baca). “They are having negotiations to have a deal, hopefully for them, ready to go if and when Aaron Rodgers firmly and finally decides that he wants to return.”
There are some similarities here to 2018, when the Packers had to pony up a record-breaking deal to keep Rodgers with the Packers. We heard recently that Rodgers was seeking a contract that would pay him $50MM per season, although the QB quickly shot down those rumors. While this would be a monster number and represent a seismic increase in quarterback salaries over the past two years, Rodgers is now negotiating with back-to-back MVPs on his resume.
Of course, there’s still one obvious wrinkle interfering with the negotiations. Rodgers has not informed the Packers he wants to stay in Green Bay, and multiple teams have reportedly sent the Packers trade offers. Rodgers does intend to inform the Pack of his decision soon,
Raiders, Jaguars To Pursue Davante Adams If WR Hits Free Agency
The Packers are preparing to use the franchise tag on Davante Adams, but that won’t stop other teams from expressing interest in the star receiver. According to Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com, if Adams doesn’t get tagged and hits the open market, the Raiders and Jaguars will be among the teams that will pursue the free agent. Pauline also mentions the Broncos as a suitor, backing a previous report, and he lists the Chargers as a “team to watch.”
[RELATED: Packers Preparing To Put Franchise Tag On Davante Adams]
Derek Carr played with Adams at Fresno State, and the two have publicly talked about a potential reunion for some time. The Raiders are armed with about $40MM in cap space, and Josh McDaniels and co. would surely like a top-end receiver to pair with receiver Hunter Renfrow and tight end Darren Waller. DeSean Jackson provided a bit of a spark after joining the organization, but there’s no guarantee he sticks around. The team also lost a key future piece in Henry Ruggs, so it wouldn’t be shocking if the Raiders add to their receiving corps.
The Jaguars have an awe-inspiring $70MM to play with, and the organization has been interested in pairing Trevor Lawrence with an elite receiver. Adams is used to winning, so it remains to be seen (in the hypothetical where he hits the open market) if he’d pursue a lucrative contract with a lesser team. Of course, Adams could also be a key piece in helping Jacksonville return to the postseason.
The Chargers are an interesting suitor considering their current receiver situation. Keenan Allen is set to earn $19MM in 2022, while breakout star Mike Williams is hitting free agency. While Allen’s spot in Los Angeles seems secure, the team could end up punting on the up-and-coming Williams and pivot to an elite option like Adams.
Green Bay has not used its tag since 2010 (Ryan Pickett) but is prepared to cuff its All-Pro wide receiver. Hopes for an Adams extension continue to be on hold. The sides have not discussed an extension since the Packers’ season ended last month.
Chiefs Monitoring Packers’ Za’Darius Smith?
The Packers have said they will not bring Za’Darius Smith back at his current cap number. Unless the team plans to add money to future caps via a void years-driven restructure, Green Bay will need to work out a new contract with its Pro Bowl edge rusher.
The prospect of Smith becoming a Packers cap casualty also looms. If that happens, the Chiefs are expected to pursue the veteran outside linebacker, according to Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com. Kansas City has its own cap-casualty candidate in Frank Clark, who is on the suspension radar after two gun-related arrests in 2021, and midseason trade acquisition Melvin Ingram is on track for free agency.
Kansas City has recent experience revamping its pass rush under Andy Reid, having disbanded its Justin Houston–Dee Ford setup to bring in Clark in 2019. Clark has enjoyed successful spurts but has not lived up to the $20.8MM-per-year extension he inked in 2019. Clark totaled just 4.5 sacks in 14 games last season. The Chiefs should not be expected to carry Clark’s $26.3MM cap charge on their books in 2022, especially with a suspension on the radar. Kansas City could save nearly $20MM by designating Clark as a post-June 1 cut.
The Chiefs’ 31 sacks ranked 29th last season, though Smith would be an interesting addition given his age (30 in September) and injury-marred 2021. A back injury sidelined Smith for 16 games last season. The ex-Raven totaled 26 sacks from 2019-20, making the Pro Bowl in each season, and was effective upon return in the Packers’ divisional-round game. Still, his value likely took a hit after back surgery sidelined him for nearly the entire season.
A return to Baltimore could also be in play for Smith, per Pauline, but it may take an underwhelming market to make that happen. The Ravens frequently let edges walk in free agency, rather than dole out big money to retain vets at the position. Pernell McPhee found his way back to Baltimore after injuries slowed him elsewhere, but Smith’s market — if he is, in fact, released — likely will not reach that level. Indeed, Pauline adds Smith should expect to generate extensive interest if cut.
Green Bay continues to move down toward the salary cap, but the team still does not know Aaron Rodgers‘ plans and may need to carve out an extra $20MM for a Davante Adams franchise tag. The team restructured Smith’s contract to create space last year, creating his current untenable cap charge ($27.7MM) and irking Smith in the process.
Packers Rework OL David Bakhtiari’s Contract
The Packers continue to open up some cap space. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter), the team has reworked left tackle David Bakhtiari‘s contract.
[RELATED: Packers Restructure Aaron Jones’ Contract]
Specifically, the organization converted $11.58MM of Bakhtiari‘s 2022 compensation into a signing bonus. This move created “significant cap space” for the summer. In 2020, the Packers inked Bakhtiari to a four-year, $105.5MM extension that made him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history.
It didn’t take long for the 2013 fourth-round pick to emerge into a starter, as the rookie lineman started 16 games at left tackle that season. The lineman has continually improved, culminating in him earning five-straight All-Pro nods (including a pair of first-team honors) between 2016 and 2020.
The veteran tore his ACL toward the end of the 2020 campaign, and he only managed to see the field for one contest during the 2021 season. Still, today’s transaction is consistent with GM Brian Gutekunst‘s recent remarks regarding his expectations for a clean bill of health for Bakhtiari in 2022 (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk).
In a January interview with CheeseheadTV.com, which is well-worth a read for Packers fans, Bakhtiari himself detailed his struggles to return to the field in 2021, including the second surgery he underwent in November and the troubling fluid buildups in his knee. Like Gutekunst, though, Bakhtiari does not anticipate any health issues going forward, and he says his knee is structurally sound.
The Packers front office has been busy this week. The team also reworked the contracts of running back Aaron Jones and defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
Rory Parks contributed to this post.
Packers Won’t Rule Out Mason Crosby
Mason Crosby could still be in the Packers’ plans. This week, Packers GM Brian Gutekunst told reporters that the veteran kicker could stick in 2022, despite a rocky ’21. 
[RELATED: Latest On Packers, Rodgers]
“For where our football team is, having a championship kind of kicker, a guy who can compete at that level, is important,” Gutekunst said.
Crosby missed nine field goals and a pair of extra points last year — a far cry from his best work in previous years. In 2019, Crosby connected on 91% of his FG tries, setting a new personal watermark en route to a three-year, $12.9MM deal. Then, in 2020, he was flawless on all 16 of his FG attempts.
Even though Crosby will turn 38 in September, there’s reason to believe that he could rebound. Of course, it also doesn’t hurt that Crosby is friendly with Aaron Rodgers. Gutekunst even alluded to that in his scrum, which was mostly dedicated to the MVP’s future in Green Bay.
In other Packers news, the club is aiming to retain both outside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell and cornerback Rasul Douglas. Campbell notched 146 stops, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions last year en route to First-Team All-Pro honors. Douglas, meanwhile, managed two pick-sixes while leading the Packers with five interceptions.
Latest On Packers, Aaron Rodgers
FRIDAY: Rodgers has certainly made himself far more accessible since his 2021 holdout ended; his latest comments attempted to refute the report he wants $50MM per year. The four-time MVP called reports he wants to be the NFL’s highest-paid player by a wide margin “categorically false,” via Pat McAfee (video link).
While Rodgers has a case for such a salary, given his accomplishments since signing his current deal in 2018, a market-resetting pact would affect the Packers or another team’s ability to build a championship contender around him. In Rodgers’ defense, he insisted his 2021 holdout was not about money and stuck to his guns by playing last season on a deal that Mahomes and other younger passers have since surpassed. A contract adjustment will almost certainly be necessary for Rodgers to stay in Green Bay; his 2022 cap number surges to $46.7MM.
THURSDAY: The Packers hope they will have Aaron Rodgers back next season, and Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com notes the sides have been communicating (video link). Rodgers and the team have discussed his contract, Demovsky adds, as they navigate a complex cap situation.
Similar to Rodgers’ 2018 negotiations, keeping the future first-ballot Hall of Famer around would mean making him the NFL’s highest-paid player. Rodgers is believed to be targeting a deal that makes him the league’s highest-paid player by a wide margin, Dianna Russini of ESPN.com said during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Podcast (video link), mentioning $50MM per year as a relevant number here.
[RELATED: Packers Unlikely To Take Calls On Jordan Love]
While this would be a monster number and represent a seismic increase in quarterback salaries over the past two years, Rodgers is now negotiating with back-to-back MVPs on his resume. The quarterback market was at $35MM (Russell Wilson) as of summer 2020, and Patrick Mahomes reached $45MM on average because he agreed to a 10-year extension. Rodgers’ age stands to limit the length of his next contract, so a deal worth $50MM or close to it on average would be a more player-friendly agreement than the one Mahomes landed.
Following Mahomes’ pact, Dak Prescott and Josh Allen each scored deals at or north of $40MM AAV. Allen got to $43MM but did so on a six-year deal. Although a Rodgers extension would be vital for the Packers’ 2022 cap situation, as they are still nearly $40MM over without factoring in a Davante Adams franchise tag, this would be a tremendous markup from the superstar QB’s current $33.5MM extension. When Rodgers agreed to that extension in August 2018, the NFL was barely a year removed from having its first $25MM-per-year player (Derek Carr).
The obvious wrinkle interfering with the Packers authorizing a record Rodgers extension remains. He has not informed the Packers he wants to stay in Green Bay, and Russini reports multiple teams have sent the Packers offers (Twitter link). Rodgers does intend to inform the Pack of his decision soon, Russini adds, but with the franchise tag window having opened this week, the situation has moved into crunch time for the team.
The Broncos have been the team most closely connected to a Rodgers pursuit. They were on Rodgers’ destination list last year. It would be surprising if the Packers sent Rodgers to an NFC team, but that does not stop NFC franchises from sending over proposals. The Panthers and Commanders have been linked to QB pursuits. Should Rodgers have a new employer soon, that team would need to authorize this record-setting extension. Of course, Brian Gutekunst said Wednesday he did not promise to trade Rodgers in the event of a request. That could be a rather notable hurdle here, should Rodgers inform the Packers he wants out.