Rodgers’ presence should help Hundley
GREEN BAY - After an extended period away from the facility, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers returned to Lambeau Field on Tuesday as players reported back from their byeweek travels.
Coach Mike McCarthy said Rodgers participated in meetings with the rest of the team. Rodgers also jumped into the rehab for his surgically repaired right collarbone after meeting with McCarthy and team physician Patrick McKenzie.
“When he walks in the room, he has great presence,” McCarthy said. “So it’s great to have him back. I think really him stepping away and being out of town really helped him deal with his situation. But he’s Aaron. I’m not going to say it, but he feels good about the way things are going so far. I got a full, detailed look at everything with him and Dr. McKenzie this morning. Yeah, it’s great having him back in the building.”
Other than placing Rodgers on injured reserve, which requires him to miss a minimum of eight weeks, the Packers have yet to specify a timeline for his recovery or comment on the feasibility of a return this season. McCarthy had no additional updates Tuesday.
“I mean, the timeline hasn’t changed,” McCarthy said. “Obviously, Aaron is on IR. So the focus is really for him to go through his rehab and get healthy. So he looks good.”
Now that he has returned from California, Rodgers can work more closely with quarterback Brett Hundley, who will make the second start of his career Monday night against the Detroit Lions. Whether he has tidbits of information on particular opponents or suggestions about particular throws, Rodgers serves as another voice for a player who is treading water after making his first NFL start Oct. 22.
“The biggest thing he can get to Brett is just to play a little faster,” McCarthy said. “…That’s something as a football team we need to do a better job of. We need to play faster, both offense and defense. So Aaron can assist in that.
“The fact of the matter is we’ve got to get dialed into the game plan (for the Lions), and that process is the same for Aaron that it is for any quarterback. He’ll definitely help Brett with that.”
Hundley remained in Green Bay throughout the bye week as he and McCarthy continue acclimating themselves to each other. McCarthy said Hundley spent extra time at Lambeau Field in the middle of last week and believes the time off was beneficial.
The Packers also are working an extra practice into their week. McCarthy said the team was scheduled to practice Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, and the extra work can only help Hundley’s chances for success against the Lions.
“He was in here working out pretty much during the course of the week,” McCarthy said. “I think that’s always beneficial when you can step away from the normal schedule and push the focus toward the individual, and he’ll have an extra practice (Tuesday).”
Bennett silent: Three days after announcing his potential retirement at season’s end, tight end Martellus Bennett declined to be interviewed inside the locker room Tuesday.
Asked if he would speak to the media at any point this week, the veteran tight end said, “Probably not.” Pressed on why he wouldn’t speak, Bennett said, “Nothing to talk about.”
Bennett’s announcement Saturday on Instagram caught the Packers by surprise. McCarthy said he hadn’t consulted with his tight end beforehand. Bennett signed a three-year, $21 million contract in March, though the deal could be viewed as one year with a team option for the final two.
McCarthy declined to share his reaction to the news.
“Any time comments are made,” McCarthy said, “you should probably speak to the individual. I’m not going to speak on anybody’s future plans and so forth. But there’ll be a point to sit down and talk to Marty.”
Before he left the locker room Tuesday, Bennett was asked what led him to his decision to potentially end his NFL career at season’s end. “Life,” he said. Injury updates: The Packers are not obligated to release an injury report until Thursday because they play Monday night. But the defense remains wounded.
Safety Kentrell Brice (ankle), inside linebacker Joe Thomas (ankle), outside linebacker Nick Perry (unknown), defensive tackle Quinton Dial (chest) and outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks (back) did not practice Tuesday.
The Packers did receive a boost from two players returning to the field for the first time since sustaining their injuries. Safety Morgan Burnett (hamstring) and left guard Lane Taylor (ankle) were at practice and appeared to take a normal amount of reps.
Self-scouting: McCarthy and his coaching staff kept grinding through the bye week, waiting until this past weekend to relent from work.
Much of their self-scouting included “across-the-hall” meetings with offensive and defensive coaches providing evaluations on other parts of the team. It’s a process McCarthy and staff have followed for years.
McCarthy said the introspection provided “no surprises” near the season’s midway point, but rather more detailed analysis from a fresh perspective.
“You can have an offensive line coach,” McCarthy said, “sit down with the outside linebackers and defensive ends and talk from an offensive tackle’s perspective, and take the time and give him his evaluation of Clay Matthews or Nick Perry, and vice versa. Or with (cornerbacks coach) Joe Whitt in the quarterback room, looking at the receivers and quarterbacks from the defensive back’s perspective. So really there’s no new surprises, but just having the opportunity to break it down and talk about techniques and fundamentals.
“It’s things that you’re able to have time in the training camp environment, but we felt it’s beneficial to do coming off the bye week.”
Lions reunion: Veteran guard Don Barclay, released by the Packers last week after spending the season on injured reserve with an ankle injury, signed Tuesday with the Lions. He rejoins former Packers offensive-line teammate T.J. Lang, who signed a freeagent deal with Detroit in the off-season.