Cheese Curds, 10/6: Multiple reunions on Monday night; NFL mourns Dick Butkus’ passing

When the Green Bay Packers and Las Vegas Raiders meet on Monday Night Football in a few days, there will be a number of familiar faces on both sidelines. One connection between the two franchises is Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia; prior to taking his current job in Green Bay for the 2022 season, he held the same title for the Raiders and spent a short stint as the Raiders’ interim head coach.

But while Bisaccia has his own reunion with the Raiders, this will be the first opportunity for former Packers wide receiver Davante Adams to face his old team. Adams asked for and received a trade to the Raiders during the 2022 offseason, and he responded with a third straight All-Pro campaign in his first year in the desert. This year, he has continued to be highly productive, even though his good friend, Derek Carr, is now in New Orleans and new starter Jimmy Garoppolo has missed some time with an injury.

Adams will face off with Jaire Alexander for the first time in game action as well, after the two honed their crafts against one another in practice for four years. The training camp and practice battles became something of a legend in Green Bay, and both players have earned All-Pro honors since Alexander’s arrival in 2018.

There’s one more notable reunion to mention as well, as you’ll see in today’s curds. But today we have to take a sad turn and acknowledge the loss of an NFL legend and one of the most prominent faces in the Packers’ rivalry with the Chicago Bears. Linebacker Dick Butkus passed away on Thursday, leaving behind a legacy of toughness and respect from and for both teammates and opponents. Our best wishes go out to the Butkus family, a group that includes his nephew, Packers offensive line coach Luke Butkus.

Jaire Alexander on facing Davante Adams: ‘I can’t miss this matchup with the best’ | Packers Wire
Alexander is hyped up to face Adams, his former teammate and sparring partner in practice. Coming off two straight games on the sideline, the Packers cornerback says he's at 99.5% health and should be ready to try to limit his friend's production on Monday.

Davante Adams Ready for ‘Monster’ He Helped Create, Jaire Alexander - Sports Illustrated
Adams, meanwhile, helped Alexander immensely early on in the young corner's career, and knows that he had at least some small part in Jaire's rise to All-Pro caliber.

Davante Adams vs. the Packers: Raiders WR discusses facing his longtime team - The Athletic ($)
Finally, Adams also spoke about the circumstances of his departure from Green Bay, showing that he holds no ill will towards the team, its coaching staff, or even many of the members of the front office.

Packers-Raiders Will Feature Anders Carlson vs. Daniel Carlson - Sports Illustrated
There's another reunion happening on Monday night, as the two teams' kickers will renew the competitive battles that took place in their youth.

Packers had total respect for the legendary Dick Butkus | Packers.com
Butkus was a truly exceptional linebacker and a great person, and his passing this week is a sad moment for the NFL as a whole.

Expat fakes heart attack more than 20 times to avoid paying restaurant bills - Daily Express US
20 heart attacks? This guy should really stop going to restaurants that serve greasy food!