Tweet
The fate of Aaron Rodgers. Adam Schefter reported Saturday—with very little couching—about the 39-year-old Rodgers’ future that it’s a “real possibility … Aaron Rodgers is going to be traded” in the off-season. Schefter often puts governors or conditions on his reports, but not so much here about the Packers’ starter for the past 15 seasons. “Make no mistake: Both sides are fully aware that a trade is a very real scenario this off-season for Aaron Rodgers,” Schefter said.
The possibilities are delicious. Rodgers to the Jets, maybe re-teaming with ex-Pack aide Nathaniel Hackett, who has interviewed for the New York offensive coordinator job. Or Rodgers to the Patriots, which seems very Belichickian, to perhaps give Mac Jones two learning seasons in the shadows. Or Rodgers to Vegas, if Tom Brady doesn’t beat him there. Or Rodgers to Seattle, which is seventh in cap room in 2023 and has four picks in the draft’s top 55. You could think of 10 more.
So, how possible is it? Well, consider that Rodgers’ cap numbers in the next two seasons would be $48.3 million, combined. That’s certainly manageable. As for the compensation due Green Bay, my guess is the Pack would want at least two first-round picks. The Woody Johnson Jets, desperate for a star QB almost since the Broadway Joe days, would happily pay that freight, I’d guess. But would Rodgers accept a deal to the Jets? We shall see.
The possibilities are delicious. Rodgers to the Jets, maybe re-teaming with ex-Pack aide Nathaniel Hackett, who has interviewed for the New York offensive coordinator job. Or Rodgers to the Patriots, which seems very Belichickian, to perhaps give Mac Jones two learning seasons in the shadows. Or Rodgers to Vegas, if Tom Brady doesn’t beat him there. Or Rodgers to Seattle, which is seventh in cap room in 2023 and has four picks in the draft’s top 55. You could think of 10 more.
So, how possible is it? Well, consider that Rodgers’ cap numbers in the next two seasons would be $48.3 million, combined. That’s certainly manageable. As for the compensation due Green Bay, my guess is the Pack would want at least two first-round picks. The Woody Johnson Jets, desperate for a star QB almost since the Broadway Joe days, would happily pay that freight, I’d guess. But would Rodgers accept a deal to the Jets? We shall see.
6. I think the Football Story of the Week comes from Kalyn Kahler of The Athletic on the pushing-and-pulling of quarterbacks on sneaks, particularly by the Eagles, that is either overwhelmingly efficient or has gotten out of control.
a. Kahler has some great information in here—the best that Eagles center Jason Kelce is warned about moving the ball ahead as much as the length of the football, almost nonchalantly, before every game. Kelce was honest and up-front with Kahler about the various sneak tactics. The Eagles, including tackle Jordan Mailata and coach Nick Sirianni, chimed in.
b. Wrote Kahler, on the efficiency of the sneak:
“I think it’s a highly underutilized play in the NFL,” Kelce said. “As the league becomes more of an analytical league, it’s a number that you can’t negate. There’s no other play that’s going to have that high percentage of assurance.”
On sneaks on third or fourth down with less than two yards to go, NFL teams converted 87.2 percent of the time this season. The Eagles’ conversion rate on third or fourth down is 92.6 percent. Hurts has the strength to squat 600 lbs, but your quarterback doesn’t have to be a quad monster to successfully run the play. Of 22 quarterbacks with a sample size of at least four sneaks this season, only one converted less than 80 percent.
It’s a smart call in short-yardage situations because with a sneak on third-and-short, an offense can bet it won’t get a holding call or lose yards that would kill the drive. If there’s no gain, repeat on fourth down.
“It’s hard to defend because it shouldn’t be legal because people are just pushing players forward,” said Bucs safety Logan Ryan. “We’re getting away from what football is. A lot of the rules aren’t really skewed for defense, but until they make a rule to stop that, I guess you can always just give someone the ball, create a circle and push forward and you’ll probably get five yards per carry. That’s the next version of offense.”
“Cry me a river,” said Mailata.
“Until they say that we can’t do that, it’s legal,” Sirianni said.
c. Really well done by Kahler, who found mid-level NFL staffers (coaches, analytics people) to tell a story the NFL wishes were hidden. The reason it’s important to discuss is that it’s getting out of control. Pro football was never meant to be rugby, with players being pushed for four, six, eight yards by three or four offensive mates.
d. The Competition Committee must, capital M, examine the spate of pushing ballcarriers this off-season. Until then, I’ll cry a river.
a. Kahler has some great information in here—the best that Eagles center Jason Kelce is warned about moving the ball ahead as much as the length of the football, almost nonchalantly, before every game. Kelce was honest and up-front with Kahler about the various sneak tactics. The Eagles, including tackle Jordan Mailata and coach Nick Sirianni, chimed in.
b. Wrote Kahler, on the efficiency of the sneak:
“I think it’s a highly underutilized play in the NFL,” Kelce said. “As the league becomes more of an analytical league, it’s a number that you can’t negate. There’s no other play that’s going to have that high percentage of assurance.”
On sneaks on third or fourth down with less than two yards to go, NFL teams converted 87.2 percent of the time this season. The Eagles’ conversion rate on third or fourth down is 92.6 percent. Hurts has the strength to squat 600 lbs, but your quarterback doesn’t have to be a quad monster to successfully run the play. Of 22 quarterbacks with a sample size of at least four sneaks this season, only one converted less than 80 percent.
It’s a smart call in short-yardage situations because with a sneak on third-and-short, an offense can bet it won’t get a holding call or lose yards that would kill the drive. If there’s no gain, repeat on fourth down.
“It’s hard to defend because it shouldn’t be legal because people are just pushing players forward,” said Bucs safety Logan Ryan. “We’re getting away from what football is. A lot of the rules aren’t really skewed for defense, but until they make a rule to stop that, I guess you can always just give someone the ball, create a circle and push forward and you’ll probably get five yards per carry. That’s the next version of offense.”
“Cry me a river,” said Mailata.
“Until they say that we can’t do that, it’s legal,” Sirianni said.
c. Really well done by Kahler, who found mid-level NFL staffers (coaches, analytics people) to tell a story the NFL wishes were hidden. The reason it’s important to discuss is that it’s getting out of control. Pro football was never meant to be rugby, with players being pushed for four, six, eight yards by three or four offensive mates.
d. The Competition Committee must, capital M, examine the spate of pushing ballcarriers this off-season. Until then, I’ll cry a river.
Comment