Rodgers advises rival QB to ‘slide a little bit’
Aaron Rodgers liked what he saw out of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson during their pre-season game Thursday, although the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player was quick to offer a bit of advice to the promising star.
Jackson had an electric 18-yard touchdown run negated by a penalty in the Ravens’ 26-13 win over the Green Bay Packers on Thursday.
“I love watching you play, man. That was pretty spectacular,” Rodgers told Jackson. “Have a great season. Slide a little bit.”
Jackson appeared to appreciate Rodgers’ praise. He pointed at Rodgers and said, “I got you, baby.”
The 22-year-old Jackson played two series during the first quarter before Trace McSorley took over to start the second.
Jackson finished six of 10 for 58 yards through the air along with two carries for 14 yards.
Jackson wowed the crowd with a juking, hurdling jaunt to the end zone late in the first quarter, but Willie Snead’s illegal blindside block negated the score.
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is content to wait on talks of a new deal.
Rivers, who will turn 38 in December, will play in 2019 in the final year of a four-year, US$83.25 million contract extension that pays him a base salary of $11 million and includes a no-trade clause.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote Friday that both sides expect a deal will get done after the season for Rivers to remain with the Chargers after his 16th season with the club, although it would be intriguing if he and 42-year-old New England star Tom Brady each fully explored free agency this off-season when their deals expire.
“I think when you get to this point, you do take it one year at a time,” Rivers told NFL Network in training camp.
“But I do expect to be playing here next year, that is the expectation. But when you’re 37, you say, ‘OK, let’s focus on this year.’ ”
Rivers previously has indicated he wants to be with the Chargers when they move into the new stadium they will share with the Rams in Inglewood in 2020.
Rivers is coming off a 12-4 season that ended just short of the AFC title game with a playoff loss to the New England Patriots.
He threw for 4,308 yards with 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Los Angeles Chargers All-Pro safety Derwin James suffered a stress fracture of the fifth metatarsal of his right foot and his return to the field is uncertain.
The team said Friday that James will continue to be evaluated, while NFL Network’s Rapoport wrote that the second-year player is expected to miss a “significant amount of time.”
James suffered the injury in Thursday’s practice and was in a walking boot during Friday’s practice.
Coach Anthony Lynn told reporters he couldn’t put a timetable for James to return and didn’t know if surgery or a trip to injured reserve would be needed.
James recorded 105 total tackles, 3.5 sacks and three interceptions last season after being selected with the 17th overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.