Aaron Rodgers is a first ballot Hall of Famer and a Packers legend. The number 12 jersey will most likely be retired.

It was never going to last forever and it seems now is a good time for both parties to move on. From his offseason antics to a difficult 2022 campaign, Rodgers’ future has been in doubt for some time. Here is why the Packers MUST move on from Aaron Rodgers.

Ripping Off The Band Aid

Rodgers’ stats speak for themselves. 10 Pro Bowls, 4 MVP awards and a Super Bowl. 59,055 career passing yards and 475 passing touchdowns.

With only five losing seasons in the 15 he has spent as the starting quarterback and only three seasons where he has played ten games or more and had less than 4,000 passing yards, the transition from Brett Favre to Rodgers could not have gone any smoother.

However, this season has been tough. Rodgers flirted with the idea of leaving the franchise until he was offered a new $150 million deal in March 2022.

His performances on the field were below par for someone who had won back-to-back MVP awards.  It was his first season since the 2010 campaign that he threw for double digit interceptions, and just the third time in his career.

At some point in every athlete’s career, there comes a time where your body starts to fail you. At the age of 39, it is safe to say Rodgers has reached father time in his career. Not every quarterback can do what Tom Brady did and play into their 40’s and do so at an elite level.

The Packers had no problem trading away Brett Favre and it feels that now is the time for the Green Bay front office to look towards the future, once Rodgers is back from his darkness retreat.

Waiting In The Wings

Jordan Love was drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, much to the shock of the Packers fanbase.

Love has had three years to sit behind Rodgers. At some point you need to see what he has got. Otherwise, you might as well trade him away.

Love got his chance on the field in 2022 and looked comfortable during the 40-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, who eventually won the NFC.

Love may have only attempted nine passes but threw for 113 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions. He looked comfortable in the system and with a full offseason with starter reps, he would go into the 2023 season with plenty of confidence.

Packers general manager Brian Gutenkurst spoke of the “offseason additions” that Love will need to consider. Running back Aaron Jones spoke of Love’s readiness. NFL reporter Bob McGinn gave his take on the Love situation. He said: “They love Jordan Love. They think he is the second coming now. They’ve seen enough in practice for three years, that they believe he is Rodgers 2.0. That’s where this organization is coming from right now.”

Love showed his potential in college with Utah State, throwing for 60 touchdowns and 29 interceptions in three seasons. It feels that it is now Love’s time and they will hope he is the future. If this was not to work out, then there are plenty of draft picks or free agency pickups that could fix the QB position. Either way, Rodgers needs to be moved on for the good of everyone involved.

The time has come.

The post Why The Packers MUST Move On From Aaron Rodgers appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies

Clay Matthews, a player synonymous with the green and gold of Green Bay.

He spent nine of his 10 years in the league with the franchise and is a surety for the Packers’ Hall of Fame. But is he set for the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Let’s take a look at whether Clay Matthews is a future Hall of Famer.

The Stats

In his NFL career, Matthews has recorded 519 tackles, 91.5 sacks 200 quarterback hits, 130 tackles for loss, as well as six career interceptions and 17 forced fumbles. He is also a six-time Pro Bowler, 1 time All Pro and a one-time Super Bowl champion.

The former Packers linebacker has not yet officially retired, which means that he would need to wait a little bit longer before the five-year mandatory waiting period begins.

Reasons For And Against His Inclusion

* Started just 9 games

Matthews has six Pro Bowl appearances and in 2010, as can be seen in the above table, only three players recorded more than the 13.5 sacks he posted that season. This is a campaign that ultimately led to his one and only ring.

In Matthews’ career, only twice did he finish inside the top ten for tackles for loss (2010 and 2014). However, that is as good as it got with only two more seasons with double-digit sacks. Despite the 11 in 2014, there were still eleven players who recorded more than him.

Despite being a linebacker, a position that is meant to excel in tackles, he never once finished in the top 100. In fact, four of the ten leaders for career combined tackles are either inside or outside linebackers. 

Even in the 2015 campaign, where he recorded his best ever ranking for combined tackles, only three of the top 20 totals that seasons did not come from linebackers.

Matthews cannot even blame a lack of gametime for poor stats, with only one season where he started less than 10 games.

On the other hand, Matthews did lead the Packers in quarterback pressures and came third in the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year voting as well as setting the Packers record for most sacks by a rookie in a season (10). He became the first Packers to record six sacks in their opening two games in 2010 as well as only being beaten by Troy Polamalu in the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards.

In the end, Matthews had a good career but certainly should not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

It is a different story for the Packers’ Hall of Fame. Matthews was part of the last team to win a Super Bowl, an integral cog also. He should be a no-brainer to receive such a honour.

Despite the lack of standouts from the above table, he has had an impact on the NFL in the aforementioned 2009 and 2010 seasons. It is some achievement to only have three players receive votes ahead of you across the 2009 and 2010 season for Defensive Player of the Year. However, it is questionable whether this is enough for Matthews to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

The post Is Clay Matthews A Future Hall of Famer? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies

The NFC North is a division with tremendous history. The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears are two of the three oldest franchises in NFL history, with the Detroit Lions not far behind. We have seen the Packers and Bears lift a Super Bowl but the Minnesota Vikings have failed to win a Super Bowl and the Lions have yet to even make the big game.

The division has been predominately the Packers’ in recent years, winning 7 of the last 10 division titles. Can anyone dethrone Green Bay this season?

Here is a preview of the NFC North

Chicago Bears (2020 Record: 8-8. Lost in Wildcard Round)

The Bears fans have reason for optimism and are going to the season with plenty of excitement. However, there is also distaste from the fanbase as to who is their starting quarterback is in week one. Andy Dalton will start against the Rams as first-round pick Justin Fields is made to wait, despite his impressive preseason. He was taken eleventh overall in the draft, with Chicago trading up to select him. Perhaps head coach Matt Nagy is wary of not putting a rookie QB up against the excellent Rams defense on their debut. Maybe he is honouring the tweet the Bears made that Dalton was QB1, a tweet made before they drafted Fields. 

Offensive lineman Tevin Jenkins was taken in the second-round in the team’s best attempt to protect their quarterback. Wide receiver Allen Robinson was franchise tagged this offseason, which keeps him there for one more year. Darnell Mooney will want to build on an impressive rookie season. Alongside Free Agency signing Marquise Goodwin, there is a quietly good receiver room in Chicago. 

Defensively, Khalil Mack’s numbers have declined since his career year in 2018 but the linebacker is still a threat. Along with defensive end Akheim Hicks, these are two defensive studs at the Bears’ disposal. There is not just Mack and Hicks. Safety Eddie Jackson as well as linebackers Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn are three great options for the Bears on the defensive side of the ball. 

Can the Bears get back to the playoffs? This is something many felt the team didn’t deserve last year despite starting the 2020 season 5-1. A schedule featuring the Rams, Cleveland Browns, Packers twice, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and Seattle Seahawks is a tough ask for anyone and this is likely to be nine losses. This would mean they would have to win all the other games just to end the season 8-9. Fields has the chance to come in mid-season and make a difference. However, this may be late not only for the Bears’ season but also for Nagy’s job.

Prediction: 2^nd in NFC North.

Detroit Lions (2020 Record: 5-11. Missed out on playoffs)

When Jared Goff is your biggest headline offseason addition, there is something wrong. There has been something wrong for many years in Detroit. Only the Cincinnati Bengals have waited longer for a playoff win than the Lions. 

Goff was the first overall pick for the Rams in 2016 but with the exception of the 2018 season that saw them reach the Super Bowl, he has been nothing more than an average quarterback. He is going from throwing to Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods to now passing the ball to Free agency signing Tyrell Williams, fourth-round selection Amon-Ra St.Brown, and Kalif Raymond, who arrived as a free agent from the Tennesee Titans. They also brought in tight end Darren Fells as backup to T.J. Hockensen, who scored 6 touchdowns and recorded 723 yards from 67 receptions. The Lions did add Penei Sewell seventh overall, who can be a gamechanger between the trenches. However, the offense will still have plenty of issues. The Lions also lost wideouts Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones in the offseason, further adding to Goff’s woes. He does not feel like the type of player that new head coach Dan Campbell would like, considering Goff’s quieter personality and Campbell talking in his first press conference that he wants to bite people’s kneecaps. 

Detroit were 32^nd in total points and total yards allowed (30^th in passing yards allowed, 28^th in rushing yards allowed). They have not done enough in the preseason to address this. The Lions have a lot of troubles ahead this season and Campbell has a tough task on his hands. 

Prediction: 4^th in NFC North.

Green Bay Packers (2020 Record: 13-3. Lost in NFC Championship)

The Packers offseason was dominated by talk of Aaron Rodgers leaving the franchise, for either retirment or another team. Both he and wide receiver Davante Adams, who were so exceptional in 2020, posted the same post which referred to the Michael Jordan Netflix documentary ‘The Last Dance’. It is likely that Rodgers, last season’s MVP, will spend just one more season in Green Bay. Can he go out with a second ring? 

Rodgers requested a trade on draft day, which dominated the media that day. The boyhood 49ers fan is likely to have done this with the hope of San Francisco trading for him. Taking Trey Lance third overall put an end to these hopes. The Denver Broncos were often seen as the team with the best chance but after months of speculation, he decided to stay put in Green Bay. Many Packers fans were extremely frustrated during last year’s draft, when the team selected Rodgers’ replacement in Jordan Love instead of a wide receiver. This is a position that Rodgers and the Packers fanbase have wanted for a while now. A true WR2 is something that Rodgers has missed, playing a big role in why they have lost in back-to-back NFC Championship games. 

Running back Aaron Jones resigned, with a four-year $48 million deal agreed. Tight end Robert Tonyan, who scored 11 touchdowns in 2020, was initially placed on a second-round restricted free agent tender, before signing the tender for $3.4 million. The Packers also traded for former player Randall Cobb, who will want to improve on the three touchdowns he scored in both the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Amari Rodgers was taken in the third round to add some depth to the receiver room that also features Allen Lazard and Marquez Vantes-Scantling. Lazard impressed at times last season, with 3 touchdowns and 451 yards but injury meant he played just 10 games in 2020. Vantez-Scantling continues to struggle for consistency.

The offensive line could be an issue for the Packers and Rodgers. Cory Linsley, widely considered one of the NFL’s best centers, departed in Free Agency for the Los Angeles Chargers. Left tackle David Bakhtiari will miss the opening 6 weeks of the season at least, after being placed on the PUP list. Can the line protect Rodgers, who was the 25th most sacked quarterback in the league? This shows what impact the losses of Linsley and Bakhtiari could be. 

Defensively was where Green Bay struggled in the playoffs. Cornerback Kevin King had a poor game against Tampa Bay in the NFC Championship. Eric Stokes was taken in the first round to add some competition and depth to the position. In their 3-4 scheme, nose tackle Kenny Clark, Za’Darious Smith are both brilliant at what they do. Cornerback Jaire Alexander is one of the best shutdown corners in the league, with the Rams’ Jalen Ramsey arguably the only player to do it better than Alexander.

The Packers will win this division with ease but it is the question of whether their defense can take them any further than the NFC Championship. Rodgers will be on a mission to end on a high with the Packers. However, with the strength of the Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams, and the potential surprise outfit of the Washington Football Team, they may find it hard to even make the NFC Championship game this year. 

Prediction: 1^st in NFC North.

Minnesota Vikings (2020 Record: 7-9. Missed out on playoffs) 

The Vikings began the 2020 season horribly, starting 1-5 before winning 5 of their next 6 games and ending the season 7-9. Wide receiver Justin Jefferson recorded 1,400 yards, breaking the record of most receiving yards recorded by a rookie. He scored 7 touchdowns, with fellow receiver Adam Thielen recording 14. Their offense developed last season, with Kirk Cousins throwing over 4,000 yards, 35 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. However, his vaccination status may detriment his and their season.

Players not getting vaccinated may affect several teams, but Cousins’ stance is the biggest headline maker along with Lamar Jackson and Cole Beasley. If he is not careful, they may not be scared to put third-round pick Kellen Mond in the starting role during his rookie season. Cousins, a fourth-round pick in 2011, knows more than anyone how a late draft pick can make the most of their opportunity. 

Running back Dalvin Cook will hope to continue on from his impressive 2020 season. He had career-best numbers in both yards (1,557) and rushing touchdowns (16), stats only beaten by Derrick Henry last season. He will be excellently protected by 2021 first-round selection Christian Darrisaw, who is said to be an “animal in the run game”. He will hope to be fit for week one. 

Minnesota was 27^th in total yards allowed in 2020 (25^th in passing yards allowed and 27^th in rushing yards allowed), with only three teams allowing more total points than the Vikings. The top three players for the Vikings for sacks recorded were Yannick Ngakoue, Ifeadi Odenigbo and Eric Wilson. They are all no longer with the franchise. Even with them in the roster, the most any player got in 2020 was 5.

Eric Kendricks missed time last season and the Vikings also lost Danielle Hunter, Anthony Barr, and Michael Hughes to injury. Michael Pierce opted out due to COVID-19. All of these players except Hughes are returning for 2021. This will surely make a huge difference to the defense, something that will be hugely welcomed by head coach Mike Zimmer. 

An opening six games against the Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals, Seahawks, Browns, Lions, and Carolina Panthers gives the Vikings the chance to start 4-2. They then face the Dallas Cowboys, Ravens, Chargers, Packers, 49ers and Lions. There is likely to be one or two wins out of these next six games. This would have Minnesota at either 5-7 or 4-8. The Vikings then face a tough end to the season, where they face the Pittsburgh Steelers, Rams, Packers as well as twice facing the Bears. They could lose four out of these five. Looking at the schedule, the prediction here is that their 2021 record will be either 5-12 or 6-11.

Prediction: 3^rd in NFC North

The post Latest NFC North Preview appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The New Orleans Saints will be worse in 2021

By Calvin K (Twitter: @Calvin_SGF)

The 2021 NFL season is quickly approaching, and as usual, there are lots of storylines about how teams are expected to do next year. Most NFL fans have hope that their favorite team will perform well (or at least better) this year, but the obvious reality is that some teams will not live up to their hopes. Other teams that were good last year will see a decrease in performance as well. Below are the five teams due for the most regression this year.

New Orleans Saints (2020 Record: 12-4)

The Saints are an obvious pick for regression this year, as, for the first time since 2005, New Orleans has major uncertainty about who deserves the starting quarterback role. The competition will be between gunslinger Jameis Winston and dual-threat Taysom Hill, but whoever wins will never be able to fill the massive void left when Brees retired after the 2020 season.

The Saints’ last four season records of 11-5, 13-3, 13-3, and 12-4 will likely not be matched without Brees in 2021. The recent news surrounding star WR Michael Thomas likely means that he will be out until at least mid-October, a heavy blow to an offense that desperately will need someone to step up this year. New Orleans’ defense is largely the same heading into this season, but if the offense can’t be productive, they’ll have trouble winning games, and this team will be hard-pressed to repeat a 12-4 record in 2021.

Las Vegas Raiders (2020 Record: 8-8)

Las Vegas could be destined for a top-five pick in next year’s NFL draft after an atrocious offseason that led to many questioning the job security of prominent front-office executives. The losses of center Rodney Hudson and right guard Gabe Jackson were huge blows to this offensive line, and the Raiders’ offseason little to address the issue, other than their first-round selection of offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood, which was considered by many to be a reach.

The signing of RB Kenyan Drake was also mind-boggling, as the Raiders essentially gave Drake $7.25 million a year to back up Josh Jacobs at a position, running back, that teams statistically shouldn’t pay a premium for in free agency and the draft. The signings of Yannick Ngakoue and Casey Heyward could push true rock bottom further down the road for this team, but they also didn’t make much sense for a squad that needs a total overhaul and rebuild. QB Derek Carr still likely won’t be consistent enough to lead this team on a playoff run, and the wide receiving corps doesn’t help matters, as Carr still doesn’t have a true #1 option in this offense. The additional star power is a plus, but it won’t be able to fully mask the dysfunction on the defense, which is still thin at most positions. Overall, the Raiders appear to have nowhere to go but down in 2021, and because the Chiefs, Chargers, and Broncos all made impactful improvements, they could easily be headed for last place in the AFC West.

Seattle Seahawks (2020 Record: 12-4)

The Seahawks should still have plenty of offensive firepower in 2021, but this regression pick is mainly due to the competition they’ll face in the NFC West. All three teams in the division are trending upward, which isn’t a good sign for Seattle’s hopes of continued divisional dominance.

The Los Angeles Rams, who were 10-6 last year, have elevated themselves to borderline Super Bowl contender status with the addition of veteran QB Matthew Stafford. Stafford will fill a void at the Rams’ biggest position of need, and with an elite defense and plenty of offensive weapons, they’ll have a shot at a deep playoff push in 2021. The Arizona Cardinals signed J.J. Watt to join Chandler Jones in a fearsome pass-rushing duo, and Kyler Murray will be back healthy and ready to lead a high-powered offense, one that was bolstered by the selection of speedy WR Rondale Moore in Round 2 of the draft. The 49ers finished last in the division in 2020 with a record of 6-10, but they dealt with a slew of injuries last year, and this defense, if healthy, could return to the levels of the one they had during their 2019 Super Bowl run. Overall, Seattle will be facing some tough competition in 2021, and you can say what you will about their talent, but it’ll be difficult to go 12-4 again in what is arguably now the toughest division in the NFL.

Pittsburgh Steelers (2020 Record: 12-4)

Pittsburgh could still be a very solid team in 2021, but they aren’t likely to live up to their 2020 performance simply because they lost four out of their final five games after an 11-0 start to the year. Ben Roethlisberger is now 39 years old, and he is becoming less and less willing to push the ball downfield on deep throws, posting the quickest average snap-to-throw time among qualifying QBs last year (2.3 seconds).

The Steelers also incurred major losses from the offensive line (Maurkice Pouncey, Alejandro Villanueva, David DeCastro) and linebacking corps (Vince Williams, Bud Dupree), and while they did make some effort to patch up those areas, the depth for them just isn’t the same as it was last year. The addition of RB Najee Harris from the draft should help boost the offense as a whole, but overall, this team doesn’t feel complete enough to post another elite season. Pittsburgh should still be in the playoff hunt in 2021, but this year’s record should more closely resemble the ones of 2019 (8-8) and 2018 (9-6-1) than that of last year.

Green Bay Packers (2020 Record: 13-3)

The Packers could very well perform at the same level that they did in 2020, but this pick just comes down to the fact that I don’t expect QB Aaron Rodgers to play a full season – or at all – this year. According to Adam Schefter, Rodgers declined a two-year extension this offseason that would’ve made him the highest-paid player in football. The contract, which would’ve carried north of $45 million in annual value, is an insane offer to turn down, which is why the player/team relationship appears fractured beyond repair.

The Packers will return most of their full lineup in 2021, as superstar center Corey Linsley was their only major loss in free agency this offseason. The selections of CB Eric Stokes and WR Amari Rodgers will only bolster a team that already has a strong roster all around. However, despite the supporting cast, this team will not be able to have success on the same level without Rodgers. QB Jordan Love is clearly not ready to take over the starting role despite the first-round capital used on him in 2020, and that fact was emphasized by the gigantic offer that Green Bay extended to Rodgers. It’s possible that if this team doesn’t have competent quarterback play, it could still potentially have some success. However, if Rodgers holds out or is traded, it removes any chance for the Packers to be a Super Bowl contender, which is a clear step down from their status in recent years.

The post Five NFL Teams Due For Regression in 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.