Wide receiver Davante Adams has been the subject of trade chatter at times since joining the Raiders and the prospect of him leaving Las Vegas was part of a text he received from former teammate Josh Jacobs this offseason.
Jacobs signed with the Packers as a free agent and said that he texted Adams “you thinking about coming back” along with the eyes emoji after signing with Adams’s first NFL club. Jacobs said on NFL Network more recently that he and Adams “joke around with each other a lot” while downplaying any real thought of Adams returning to Green Bay and Adams confirmed it was taken in jest even if he thinks there was some kernel of truth behind the comment.
“It was true, he did send that over,” Adams said on Up & Adams. “Josh is one of my best friends, man. He’s hilarious, people don’t know how funny he is. It was definitely a joke, but it was one of those jokes where he was serious because he would like that. I told him you go ahead and hold it down and I’m gonna hold it down over here. I don’t think I’ll be coming back over there.”
Adams then said “you never know” what could happen “if they ship me off” before saying “I’m a Raider” to close out that topic of conversation.
The legal fight involving a pair of Hall of Famers landed in an appeals court on Tuesday.
Brett Favre hopes to resuscitate his defamation case against Shannon Sharpe, with the assistance of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Via the Associated Press, the action returned to court on Tuesday. The case, which relates to Favre’s entanglement in a multi-million-dollar Mississippi welfare scandal, focuses on comments made by Sharpe in September 2022, when he said on his FS1 show that Favre was “taking from the underserved,” that he “stole money from people that really needed that money,” and that someone would have to be a sorry person “to steal from the lowest of the low.”
The lower court dismissed Favre’s case, reasoning that Sharpe’s comments were protected by the First Amendment as “rhetorical hyperbole.”
The legal question for now is whether a reasonable listener could interpret Sharpe’s comments as indicated that Favre actually stole money from Mississippi residents.
If the prior ruling is upheld, Favre’s next move (after seeking a rehearing before the full Fifth Circuit) would be to request the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the case. If the decision is overturned, it would go back to the lower court for further proceedings.
Edgerrin Cooper was one of the best defensive players in college football last season, his final season at Texas A&M. The Packers may have gotten a steal with the 45th overall pick.
Cooper will head into training camp close to winning a starting job after making a good impression in the offseason program.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur said during minicamp that he called a play designed to fool Cooper, but the All-American didn’t bite.
“I thought for sure we were going to get him on [it], and he did a heck of a job,” LaFleur said, via Mike Spofford of the team website. “I was kind of teasing the other coaches, ‘Did you preview him for that play?’ And they did not. So, that’s a credit to him and just how engaged he’s been and how locked in he’s been throughout the course of the offseason.”
Cooper was the first off-ball linebacker taken in the draft after 84 tackles, eight sacks and two forced fumbles last season for the Aggies.
New Packers coordinator Jeff Hafley will use three linebackers, but the team will have only two on the field in their nickel package. Cooper could join third-year pro Quay Walker in staying on the field for all three downs. Walker played 91 percent of the defensive snaps in the 14 games he played in 2023.
The Packers also have veterans Isaiah McDuffie and Eric Wilson and third-round pick Ty’Ron Hopper in the linebackers room.
“He’s showing flashes, getting downhill, playing, flying around,” Walker said of Cooper. “I just tell him, ‘Don’t do no thinking, bro. Just fly around. If you mess up, it is what it is. You a rookie. Just take what you can learn . . . and go from there.’”
In the nine days since a $4.7 billion verdict was entered against the NFL in the Sunday Ticket class action, no owner of any team has said anything about the outcome.
Packers CEO Mark Murphy has.
In his monthly column during which he answers five fan questions, Murphy chose to address a question seeking his thoughts on the biggest loss the NFL has ever taken in court.
“This was obviously big news last week,” Murphy writes. “I was disappointed in the verdict and know that we will appeal the decision. I would also echo the sentiments that the league expressed in its statement: ‘We are disappointed with the jury’s verdict today in the NFL Sunday Ticket trial class action lawsuit. We continue to believe that our media distribution strategy, which features all games broadcast on free over-the-air television in the markets of the participating teams and national distribution of our most popular games, supplemented by many additional choices including Red Zone, Sunday Ticket and NFL+, is by far the most fan friendly distribution model in all of sports and entertainment. We will certainly contest this decision as we believe that the class action claims in this case are baseless and without merit. We thank the jury for their time and service and for the guidance and oversight from Judge Gutierrez throughout the trial.’”
Murphy ultimately didn’t say much. But why say anything? Why give credence to a very bad outcome for the NFL that has been, in the grand scheme of things, ignored? Why even mention it at all?
Murphy’s decision to acknowledge the verdict in his column gives Packers fans who might not have even heard about the case reason to start poking around. To start reading about the case. To start piecing together the reality that, with or without antitrust liability, the NFL deliberately overcharged for the Sunday Ticket package, picking the pockets of displaced Packers fans who were willing to pay whatever it took to watch the team play — and freezing out any frozen tundra aficionados who lacked the disposable income to buy a variety pack of 32 cheeses when they were only interested in Wisconsin’s finest.
The league office can’t be thrilled about this. When it comes to the Sunday Ticket trial, less is more. Beyond the $14 billion that the league might have to pay, the NFL runs the risk of consumers realizing that the league has been gouging those who prefer out-of-market viewing in order to protect the money that comes from the networks that feed one game at a time (and at most three games on any given Sunday) to local markets from sea to shining sea.
Of course, this won’t be Murphy’s problem. He’s retiring in a year. When all appeals are exhausted, it will be for his successor to figure out how to come up with $441 million.
And if/when the league decides it has no choice but to let the Sunday Ticket partner charge whatever it wants, Murphy won’t have to fret about what that could do to the fees paid by CBS and Fox.
After sitting behind Aaron Rodgers for three seasons, quarterback Jordan Love excelled in his first chance to be a full-time starter in 2023.
He led the Packers to a playoff berth along with a postseason victory, setting himself up for a significant contract extension sooner than later.
Veteran running back Josh Jacobs signed with Green Bay in free agency and said in an interview with NFL Network on Tuesday that he’s observed some special qualities in the quarterback.
“To me, just from what I’ve seen, he has all the traits and all the tools to be a superstar in this league,” Jacobs said. “I think that as he keeps continuing to play and gets experience and becomes more confident in his abilities and what he can do, he’s going to be the next superstar in this league, for sure.”
Love finished the 2023 regular season having completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 4,159 yards with 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. His last eight starts were particularly impressive, as he completed 70.3 percent of his throws for 2,150 yards with 18 touchdowns and one pick, leading Green Bay to a 6-2 record in that span.
With the QB currently slated to become a free agent in March 2025, the Packers and Love have signaled a desire to reach an agreement on a contract extension before the beginning of training camp later this month.
Training camp is coming. When the 32 teams gather for preseason practices, several high-profile players might not be present, if they force the issue on getting new contracts.
So which names are the ones to watch? Funny you should ask, even if you didn’t.
The goal of this item is to list all of the potential veteran holdouts, with some explanation and analysis of each situation.
That said, there’s a chance some of the players listed below will “hold in.” That’s a fairly new trend where the player shows up for training camp but doesn’t practice while negotiations continue. The only problem with this approach is that, if/when there’s no deal, at some point it’s time to practice and play. For the player who never shows up, it’s easier to keep holding firm. And the pressure remains even more pronounced on the team if the player isn’t there.
The following list has no particular order to it, other than the fact that I went through the eight divisions from AFC East to AFC North to AFC South to AFC West before doing the same in the NFC when compiling the list.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa
He wants a market deal. The Dolphins have yet to offer one, or they’d already have an agreement. At some point before training camp opens, the Dolphins will make an offer far better than the $23.1 million he’s due to make in his option year. To get what he wants, Tua’s best and only play might be to hold out.
Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill
He’s doing everything he can to put a happy face on a contract situation that has him nearly as unhappy as he was two years ago in Kansas City. Still, the market has passed him by. Even though he says he’s making $30 million per year, he’s at $25 million — behind teammate Jaylen Waddle.
Hill seems to believe the Dolphins will adjust his contract. Maybe they will, maybe they won’t. Maybe, at most, they’ll move some of the $45 million he’s due to make in 2026 into 2024, where he’s south of $20 million. If that’s not good enough, maybe he’ll stay away in order to get a deal that compares favorably to other high-end receivers.
Patriots linebacker Matt Judon
Judon skipped some of the offseason program as he enters the final year of his contract. He showed up for mandatory minicamp.
Last year, he held in. This year, he said he won’t be “throwing tantrums.”
One way to not throw tantrums is to not show up. Still, he has made it clear that he plans to show up. While plans can change, his mindset as of last month was to show up and get to work.
Jets linebacker Haason Reddick
The Jets traded for a guy who wanted a new contract without signing him to a new contract. It should be no surprise, then, that he skipped the entire offseason program.
Will he show up for camp? No one knows at this point. The possibility that he won’t underscores the magnitude of the mistake the Jets made in trading for him without getting him signed.
Yeah, the Jets supposedly thought they had a verbal understanding with Reddick that he’d show up for the offseason and they’d eventually do something with his contract. As we’ve seen time and again, verbal understandings aren’t worth the paper they aren’t printed on.
Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase
On the day Justin Jefferson got his new deal, the Bengals could have worked out a contract for Chase that same day. And they should have.
It should be easy to get to the new-money number Chase wants. Although Chase showed up for mandatory minicamp, he could decide to take a stand if the Bengals keep dragging their feet.
The good news for the Bengals is that receiver Tee Higgins has signed his franchise tender. Since training camp opens after the deadline for doing a long-term deal, there’s nothing to be gained by staying away. He has opted to accept $21.8 million for 2024, followed by a likely shot at free agency in March, given the team’s longstanding habit of tagging a player for one year before letting him walk away.
Browns receiver Amari Cooper
Cooper skipped mandatory minicamp in an effort to get a deal to replace the final year of his current contract, with a base salary of $20 million. If he doesn’t get a new deal by the start of camp, a holdout can’t be ruled out.
Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton
Sutton showed up for mandatory minicamp despite wanting a new deal. (He’s due to make only $13 million this season.) He hasn’t ruled out a holdout.
Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb
Lamb reportedly won’t attend camp without a deal that replaces the $17.9 million he’s due to make in the final year of his rookie contract. Will the Cowboys give him what he wants? As explained Monday, there’s a way to do it while also creating current-year cap space. Which would be a win-win for a team desperately hoping to engineer some wins in the playoffs.
Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons
Parsons has said he’ll be patient when it comes to getting a new contract. He shouldn’t be.
He’s one of the best defensive players in football. He shouldn’t risk his health for less than $3 million in 2024. He should refuse to practice or play until he gets paid.
Yes, he attended mandatory minicamp. So did Ezekiel Elliott in 2019. And then Zeke didn’t show up for training camp.
Without a new contract, Parsons should do the same.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love
There’s currently no reason to think the Packers and Love won’t get a new deal done before training camp opens. If they don’t, however, why should Love show up?
He’s due to make only $11 million this year. He needs to be willing to take a stand, if his contract situation isn’t resolved before the Packers head to training camp.
Buccaneers tackle Tristan Wirfs
With only $18.44 million in salary for 2024, he’s been looking for a new deal all year. He showed up at mandatory minicamp. Again, that’s no guarantee he’ll show up for training camp unless he gets a contract offer that prompts him to sign on the dotted line.
Saints running back Alvin Kamara
Kamara left mandatory minicamp early, due to frustration with contract talks. He wants security beyond 2024, given that the team will tear up next year’s phony-baloney $25 million compensation package.
Will he skip camp without a new deal? We’ll find out when camp opens.
49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk
Much has been said about Aiyuk and the 49ers and whether he will or won’t be traded. He ultimately needs to ask himself whether he’s willing to show up and play for $14.1 million in 2024 — or whether he wants to draw a line in the sand.
Short of a long-term, market-level deal, the 49ers could give him a sweetener and/or agree not to tag him in 2025. For now, there’s been nothing other than a staring contest augmented by the various things Aiyuk has said, on social media and elsewhere.
When it’s time to show up for camp, we’ll see if he does.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford
Stafford has wanted more guarantees for a while. He should also want more money. A deal hasn’t been done yet.
If it doesn’t happen before camp opens, who knows? Given the lack of high-end options on the roster, Stafford had plenty of leverage. If he chooses to use it.
After completing the offseason program in Green Bay, Packers running back Josh Jacobs believes he’s playing in an offense that has unlimited potential.
“I honestly think the sky is the limit in this offense,” Jacobs said on NFL Network. “Obviously, with having a special guy in Jordan Love, you know, and having a good offensive line and some good receivers out there makes it a lot easier for me, but just to be able to see the game plan and things that they want me to do this year, the things that they’re allowing me to do, I just think it’s going to be a special year.”
Jacobs led the NFL in rushing yards in 2022, but he believes his talents as a wide receiver weren’t fully used during his five years with the Raiders, and now that he’s with the Packers he thinks he’s going to show everything he can do in the passing game.
“Just to be able to come out and actually show that I can catch the ball more,” Jacobs said. “Not just that but trusting me enough to be able to pick up protections. It’s just so special when you got a guy like Jordan Love back there, and you can’t really just load the box every play, and you make defenses decide what they want to stop. I think that’s going to be the biggest help for me this year.”
And the Packers hope Jacobs is a big help toward the offense taking a big step with Love.
Randall Cobb, his wife and three kids escaped unhurt when a fire engulfed their Nashville house this week.
Cobb’s wife, Aiyda, posted on social media that the family got out of the house just in time.
“We are lucky to be alive,” she wrote. “The Tesla charger caught on fire in the garage late last night and quickly spread. We got out of the house with nothing but the clothes on our back and no shoes on our feet.”
Randall Cobb’s social media message praised the firefighters who quickly responded.
“Thank you for all the love and positive messages,” Cobb wrote. “First and foremost, we are all safe and healthy. We got out of the house and I was able to get back in and get our dog, Louie. We can’t thank Chief Caruthers, Captain Irvin and the Nashville Fire Department enough for their swift action. I can’t get the image of the brave firefighter getting into position out of my head; he didn’t even have water to shoot yet. I truly thought the cards were going to explode and that we would lose him in this tragedy. He is a true hero. Unfortunately we don’t know how much, if anything, will be salvageable, but this has been a reminder that nothing is more important than the health of our family.”
The 33-year-old Cobb has had a 13-year NFL career, mostly with the Packers. He played last season with the Jets. He is currently a free agent.
The Packers announced earlier on Monday that Ed Policy will become their next chairman, president and CEO next summer with Mark Murphy’s retirement.
While the team’s release noted that the search committee looked into 90 candidates for the role, there has been some reporting on one of the prime contenders.
According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Commanders president Jason Wright was a finalist for the job.
Wright, 41, has been with the Commanders since 2020, helping lead the team through its ownership transition. Had he been hired, Wright would have been the first Black man in league history to effectively serve as a team owner.
As a player, Wright spent time with the 49ers, Falcons, Browns, and Cardinals after entering the league as an undrafted free agent out of Northwestern in 2004.
Jordan Love came on strong last season and removed any doubt that he’s the quarterback the Packers want to build their offense around, but his coaches still see areas where he can get better.
Packers quarterbacks coach Tom Clements and head coach Matt LaFleur both spoke this offseason about the importance of Love perfecting his fundamentals.
“But what we’re making a big emphasis on is [having] perfect feet,” LaFleur said, via ESPN. “Making sure the guys go through their progressions, having perfect feet. And when they’re not, they hear about it. I just think, again, offseason, where we’re at, new defense, it’s important for them to understand the drops that we want them to take, so we implemented it.”
Clements said the offseason, when quarterbacks can get sustained work without a live pass rush, is a good time to prepare that way.
“It’s just more fundamental things,” Clements said. “Footwork and how he moves in the pocket, and we’re working on the drills, working on throwing a lot of routes on air because you can’t have defenders out there at this point. It’s just presence in the pocket, when to move, when not to move, things like that.”
Love has said he expects to sign a long-term contract with the Packers soon, and the Packers know just what they want to see from him as he leads the franchise for years to come.