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Watt agrees to deal with Arizona

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J.J. Watt – Photo Courtesy of Mike Clemens

Three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt has decided not to championship for less money, agreeing to a two-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals on Monday.

Several reports say the deal is worth $31 million with $23 million of it guaranteed.

A number of teams were said to be interested in Watt, including the Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills, all of which have better chances at an NFL title.  But Watt decided not to chase an NFL Championship for less money.  If he’s going to win a championship, it’ll be at his price.

In Arizona, Watt will be paired with fellow pass rusher Chandler Jones, who leads the NFL in sacks since he was drafted in the first round of the 2012 draft with 97.  Watt is second on that list with 95.5.

Watt was drafted by the Houston Texans in 2011 with the 11th overall pick.  He asked for and was given his release last month, ending a 10-year run with the Texans.  He has 101 career sacks during his 10 NFL seasons in Houston.

Packers Among Teams Interested in Watt

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J.J. Watt

The Green Bay Packers are reportedly one of a dozen teams said to be interested in signing former Houston Texans All-Pro J.J. Watt.

ESPN.com’s Ed Werder reported “approximately a dozen teams have shown interest.  SI.com’s Bill Huber reported over the weekend that the Packers are said to be one of those teams.

The former Badger and Pewaukee, Wisconsin native would most likely have interest in the Packers with a chance to win the Super Bowl championship that has eluded him during his 10-year career.

The Packers will have to do some serious cap work just to get under the salary cap by the start of the new league-year on March 17. [Read more…]

Houston releases J.J. Watt, Could Packers be next?

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Former Wisconsin Badger standout J.J. Watt asked the Houston Texans for his release and it was granted today, ending a 10-year run in Houston.

Watt broke the news in a 2-minute video on Twitter Friday morning.

“I came here 10 years ago as a kid from Wisconsin who never really been to Texas before and now I can’t imagine my life without Texas in it,” Watt said.

Watt is a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and was named the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2017 for his humanitarian work after Hurricane Harvey devastated the Houston area.  He set out to raise $200,000 to help out and by the time he was done, the total collected was $41.6 million. [Read more…]

Order is set for 2021 NFL Draft’s opening round

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The completion of the NFL season means the first round order for the NFL Draft is set.

Jacksonville, following their 1-15 season, holds the number 1 pick, followed by the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins (trade from Houston), Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals rounding out the top five.

The next five are Philadelphia, Detroit, Carolina, Denver and Dallas at number 10.  The New York Giants have the 11th selection, followed by San Francisco, the L.A. Chargers, Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots at number-15.  Arizona has the 16th selection, followed by Las Vegas, Miami, Washington and the Chicago Bears at number-20.

Indianapolis has the 21st selection followed by Tennessee, New York Jets (from Seattle), Pittsburgh and Jacksonville (from the LA Rams) at number-25.  Cleveland has the 26th pick, followed by Baltimore, New Orleans, Green Bay and Buffalo at number-30.

Kansas City picks 31st after falling to Tampa Bay in the Super Bowl, with the Buccaneers getting the 32nd and final selection of the opening round.

The 2021 Draft starts with the opening round on Thursday, April 29, in Cleveland, Ohio.  The second and third rounds will be held Friday, April 30, followed by rounds four through seven on Saturday, May 1.

 

 

 

Rodgers wins third MVP Award

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Aaron Rodgers (File Photo)

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was the favorite to win the NFL’s MVP award on Saturday, so the announcement was not a surprise.  In fact, the only surprise came when he announced that he got engaged during the season.

Rodgers received 44 of the 50 votes conducted by a nationwide panel of media members, becoming just the sixth player to be named the NFL’s MVP at least three times.  He also captured the honor in 2011 and 2014.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen received four votes and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes earned two votes.

Rodgers led the Packers to a 13-3 record, leading the NFL with 48 touchdown passes and just five interceptions.  Rodgers became just the third quarterback in NFL history to lead the league in both categories.  Tom Brady did in in 2010 and Johnny Unitas did it in 1958.

The 37-year-old Packers quarterback completed over 70 percent of his passes for 4,299 yards.  His 48 touchdown passes nearly doubled his total from his first season in Matt LaFleur’s offense, when he threw 26 touchdown passes.

Rodgers joins Brett Favre, Jim Brown, Brady and Unitas as three-time winners.  Peyton Manning has five MVP awards.

Tennessee’s Derrick Henry won the Offensive Player of the Year award.  Aaron Donald of the Rams is the Defensive Player of the Year.  The Chargers Justin Herbert was named Offensive rookie of the year, while Washington’s Chase Young won the Defensive honor.  Cleveland’s Kevin Stefanski was named the Coach of the Year and Washington’s Alex Smith captured the Comeback Player of the Year award.

 

 

 

 

Woodson elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame

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Charles Woodson

Charles Woodson became the latest Green Bay Packers star to join the NFL’s Hall of Fame.  Woodson joins the Hall as a first-ballot Hall of selection.

As a member of the Packers, Woodson lead the NFL in interceptions in 2009 and 2011.  He was a first-team All-Pro selection after both of those seasons and helped the Packers win the Super Bowl in 2010.

Woodson seven seasons in Green Bay and 11 more with the Raiders.  His 65 interceptions is tied for fifth on the NFL’s all-time list.  Thirty-eight of those interceptions came during his seven seasons with the Packers.  He ranks fourth on the team’s all-time interceptions list. [Read more…]

Report: Leonhard turns down offer from Packers

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Jim Leonard

Wisconsin Badgers defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard has reportedly turned down an offer to become the next defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers.

The Wisconsin State Journal was the first to report Leonhard’s decision.  It was confirmed by Wisconsin Radio Network on Saturday morning.

Leonhard reportedly talked with Packers head coach Matt LaFleur by way of zoom on Tuesday and then in person on Thursday before turning down the job on Friday.

Leonhard told the State Journal, “it was me choosing UW.  I want to stay at UW.  I want to be at this level right now.  Extremely flattered.  Awesome opportunity.  But it was not the right time for me to go back to the NFL.”

Leonhard staying at UW is huge for Paul Chryst and the Badgers.  Leonhard was a three-time All-American safety at Wisconsin and has served as the school’s defensive coordinator for the past four years.

LaFleur now must now move forward with his search.  Likely at or near the top of his list is Los Angeles Rams safeties coach Ejiro Evero.  Evero was a quality control assistant coach for the Packers in 2016.

 

Packers season comes to an end in NFC Championship

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After working all season to secure a first round playoff bye and home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, the Green Bay Packers season came to an end in the NFC Championship game, falling to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-26 on Sunday at Lambeau Field.

Tom Brady threw for 280 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions and will play in his 10th Super Bowl in two weeks, this time on his own home field in Tampa.  Brady will be in search of his seventh Super Bowl title.  To get there, the Bucs had to beat three division winners, including the Packers on Sunday.

The Buccaneers (14-5) will face the Kansas City Chiefs (16-2) on Feb. 7 in Super Bowl 55.  No team has ever played in a Super Bowl on their own home field before.

The Packers (14-4) picked a bad time to play their worst game of the season, seeing their seven-game winning streak come to an end. [Read more…]

Packers host the Rams on Saturday at Lambeau Field

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With the Los Angeles Rams beating Seattle on Saturday and the Chicago Bears falling at New Orleans on Sunday, it’ll be the Rams facing the Green Bay Packers in the divisional playoff round at Lambeau Field.

The NFL has slotted those two teams into the first game of the weekend, at 3:35 p.m. CT on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 16) at Lambeau Field.

The Packers had the weekend off after earning the top seed in the NFC with a 13-3 finish to the regular season.

The Rams (11-6) knocked off the Seattle Seahawks 30-20 on Saturday in Seattle.  Cam Akers rushed for 131 yards and a [Read more…]

Packers Have Seven Players Voted To 2020 NFC Pro Bowl Team

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David Bakhtiari

The Green Bay Packers had seven players named to the 2020 NFC Pro Bowl team on Monday.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers headlines the squad as the starting quarterback.  It marks the ninth Pro Bowl selection of his career, tying Brett Favre and the late Forrest Gregg for the most Pro Bowl selections as a Packer.  Rodgers leads the league in passer rating (118.0), passing touchdowns (40) and fewest interceptions thrown (four – min. 350 pass attempts).

Davante Adams was voted to his fourth straight NFC Pro Bowl squad, making him only the second Packers WR to earn four-plus consecutive Pro Bowls.  James Lofton made six straight appearances from 1980-85.  Adams leads the league in receptions per game (8.2) and receiving yards per game (98.8) and ranks No. 2 in receiving TD’s with 14.  He posted those numbers despite missing 2+ games because of injury.

David Bakhtiari earned his third trip to the Pro Bowl and his second straight as an original selection.  He’s joined by fellow offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins, who earned his first selection.  Jenkins became the Packers first offensive lineman to start a game at guard, center and tackle in the same season since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. [Read more…]