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The NFL faces a difficult week coming up. With training camps opening up to rookies starting today (for two teams — the rest, including the Packers, begin on Tuesday) the league is under its most significant time crunch to come to a full agreement with the players union about safety protocols for actually starting camp.
COVID-19 has kept the players away from team facilities for months, so avoiding injury is one piece of the puzzle for them. Another big one is, of course, handling the coronavirus itself, particularly testing protocols and payments to players who opt out due to personal health conditions or those of family members. And then there’s the debate over preseason games.
Several big-name players, including a handful of Packers stars, took part in a coordinated social media messaging campaign over the weekend, explaining their positions and their goals in negotiations with the league. For now, however, camps are still set to open up to all players early next week with no agreement in sight.
While we look ahead to the 2020 season, let’s also look back at a day that put Aaron Rodgers atop the Packers’ record book in one particular area. Against the rival Bears, the Packers had to come up with a creative game plan and did so, spreading the football around like crazy and taking control of a Thursday night game under the lights.
Bakhtiari, Adams: ‘We Want to Play’ But NFL Must Do Its Part | SI.com
A few Packers players took part in a coordinated social media campaign this weekend explaining the position of the NFL’s players. At this point, it’s all about making sure that the league and teams have plans in place to handle the inevitable positive tests and to make sure that players and their families can stay as safe as possible.
Aaron Rodgers facing first real job competition | Packersnews.com
This is quite a headline. No, Rodgers is not facing competition in 2020, just like Brett Favre didn't face real competition in 2005. In 2021 or 2022, then that might be the case.
How it happened: Aaron Rodgers connects on record 39 passes | Packers.com
Rodgers holds the team's single-game completions record thanks in large part to injuries to the team's top two running backs. Using short passes instead of runs and an up-tempo offense, Rodgers ended up going 39-for-56 in a 26-10 Packers win, sending 13 or more targets to three different receivers, each of whom caught at least 10 passes.
Here are the Madden NFL 21 overall ratings for every Packers player | Packers Wire
Kevin King got a 73 overall, the same rating as Tim Williams. Here's your annual reminder that Madden's ratings, especially the initial ones, are dumb.
A team-by-team prediction of the next wave of sneaky NFL standouts – The Athletic
The criteria here was to pick a player who has not been to a Pro Bowl or named to an All-Pro team. Not surprisingly, Jaire Alexander is the pick for the Packers, as he should be a Pro Bowler in 2020 if all goes according to plan.
Ride of a lifetime: Ohio man loses nearly 200 pounds to ride new roller coaster | WHP
Good for you, Jared. He lost the weight over ten months just so he could ride a new coaster at Kings Island amusement park near Cincinnati.