Rodgers agrees to mega deal; Bridgewater now a Saint
RG3 among players looking to make a big impression tonight
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is getting another big deal.
The two-time NFL MVP and the Green Bay Packers agreed to terms Wednesday on a four-year extension that would keep Rodgers under contract through the 2023 season.
The four-year deal is worth $134 million, with more than $100 million in guaranteed money. Rodgers’ former teammate, NFL Network analyst James Jones, first reported the agreement.
Rodgers’ new annual average salary of $33.5 million per year would eclipse Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan’s fiveyear extension worth $30 million a year.
BROWNS: Cleveland linebacker Mychal Kendricks was released by the team Wednesday night, hours after being charged by federal prosecutors with insider trading.
Kendricks signed a one-year contract with the Browns in June after winning a Super Bowl title last season with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Earlier, U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain said Kendricks made approximately $1.2 million profit off illegal, nonpublic information in four separate major deals. Kendricks issued a statement admitting his guilt and apologizing. He expressed regret and accepted “full responsibility” for his actions.
Kendricks is facing possible prison time and further discipline from the NFL for violating its personal conduct policy.
TRADE: The New Orleans Saints have agreed to acquire veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and a sixth-round pick from the New York Jets for a thirdround draft pick Wednesday.
While record-setting quarterback Drew Brees is entrenched as New Orleans’ starter, the move signifies that Saints coach Sean Payton was not comfortable with veteran Tom Savage or secondyear pro Taysom Hill serving as Brees’ backup.
“We are very pleased to obtain a young player with quite a bit of playing experience in Teddy Bridgewater,” Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said. “He’s a successful quarterback and we know he will be a great addition to our quarterback room.”
The Saints have their sights set on Super Bowl contention after coming within one play of reaching the NFC title game last season.
The full slate of games to conclude the exhibition season will be something of a tease. Unless you have a friend or relative trying out for an NFL squad, there’s little reason to pay attention.
Still, slivers of intrigue can slip through, as is the case in Baltimore when the Ravens host their nearby rivals, the Washington Redskins.
Robert Griffin III, the 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year whose subsequent seasons have been marred by injuries, will face the team that chose him second overall that year and made the playoffs behind him.
While RG3 has, by all accounts, had a solid summer, there’s no guarantee he will make the Ravens, who have Joe Flacco entrenched as the starter and first-round draftee Lamar Jackson as his understudy.
“I think Robert has done everything we’ve asked him to do and more,” Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s everything he’s always been as a player, he’s back on his feet, he’s healthy, he’s in a new environment, new situation. He’s had great success, and then Haloti (Ngata) fell on him. That’ll hurt anybody’s career! Right?”
After the laughter subsided, Harbaugh added, “So, I think he’s back from that finally, and he had a heck of a summer, and he’s played very well.”
Whether that’s good enough to make the roster, or draw interest from elsewhere, well, who knows?
Regardless, Griffin recognizes the value of the journey.
“The thing I feel like I’ve learned the most about is who I am as a player, a better understanding of my strengths and my weaknesses, and then how to counteract that,” he said.
“I know where I’ve come up short in my career. One of those is being available, and I think I’ve proven throughout the preseason that I’ve learned how to protect myself, while also still playing aggressively, and I think that’s something that I didn’t really do earlier on in my career. I was a little reckless.
“Everybody thinks they’re Superman. I had to learn that I am human, but there are some things that God has blessed me to be able to do that other guys cannot do, and I have to maximize those things. I think that’s where I’ve come along the most.”
IN A RUSH: Dallas quarterback Cooper Rush needs a better showing against Houston to ease questions about the backup to Dak Prescott. Rush won the No. 2 job as a rookie in the preseason last year with six touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 75 percent of his passes. The percentage is down to 65 percent, with a touchdown and two interceptions. Both picks came in the Cowboys’ eight-turnover loss to Arizona.
LYNCH’S SWAN SONG? QB Chad Kelly will start for the Broncos and Paxton Lynch will finish at Arizona in what could be the former first-rounder’s last game with the Broncos. Kelly, who spent his rookie season on IR last year, will be making his first start since he was at Ole Miss in 2016.
Lynch said he doesn’t want a fresh start somewhere else and is hoping to make the team, even as the third quarterback.
ATONEMENT: Miami’s reserves were awful against the Ravens last game, especially the offensive line and defense. Miami was outscored by Baltimore 24-0 in the second half.
The Falcons will use the final preseason game to again protect the health of starters Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman, among others, Jones and Freeman have been held out of all the preseason games for precautionary reasons given their injury histories, but neither has missed practice. LAST CHANCE FOR BARKLEY: The Colts-Bengals game is the last chance for Matt Barkley to convince the Bengals he’s dependable as the No. 2 quarterback. The spot opened when AJ McCarron won his grievance, gained free agency and went to Buffalo. The Bengals signed Barkley, and he’s competed with Jeff Driskel, who missed all of last season with a broken hand.
So far, Driskel has put up better numbers, completing 63 percent of his passes with a rating of 89.1. Barkley has completed 51.5 percent with a rating of 71.5.
RUDOCK’S AUDITION: Jake Rudock has been in the NFL for two seasons and attempted five passes, and his future became even more unclear when the Lions signed veteran quarterback Matt Cassel this offseason. With Matthew Stafford the starter — he hasn’t missed a game since the 2010 season — Detroit is hoping the backup quarterback spot won’t be relevant this year, but it’s still a battle worth watching. Rudock has completed 72 percent of his passes this preseason.
DIBS ON DOBBS? Steelers quarterback Josh Dobbs will almost certainly be on an NFL roster in a week. It just might not be in Pittsburgh. Ben Roethlisberger, Landry Jones and Mason Rudolph are locks to make the team, though Dobbs will start the exhibition finale against Carolina. Dobbs, who has thrown for a team-high three touchdowns and completed 68 percent of his passes during the preseason, says he’s focused on putting out good film and not his future.
There’s a chance the Steelers could keep him when rosters are trimmed to 53 on Saturday and then trade him to bolster depth needs in several areas. SCRAMBLING VETERANS: Tight end Nick O’Leary, running back Travaris Cadet and perhaps even quarterback AJ McCarron will get one last opportunity to make the Bills roster at Chicago. O’Leary has dropped down the depth chart behind Jason Croom and Khari Lee, while Cadet has fallen behind Marcus Murphy for the No. 3 spot on the roster. As for McCarron, his roster spot will depend on whether the Bills keep three quarterbacks.
McCarron slipped behind
returning backup Nathan Peterman and first-round draft pick Josh Allen in what’s been an offseason-long quarterback competition.
NFC TITLE PREVIEW? Perhaps that comes when the Rams and Saints face off on Nov. 4. For now, the Rams will stick with their approach of letting as few starters as possible get on the field in preseason, while the Saints are trying to get first-round draft choice DE Marcus Davenport more work. While coach Sean Payton tends to err on the side of preserving the health of key players late in the preseason, Davenport is in need of more action because of a groin pull that sidelined him for the first two preseason contests. During the offseason, Payton said one of his top priorities was improving the pass rush. Davenport was drafted to do just that, but it’s not clear when he’ll be ready to play a substantial role.
NO JAMEIS: The Buccaneers don’t plan to play suspended quarterback Jameis Winston in their preseason finale against the Jaguars, which means the next time he will be eligible to practice or play will be after his three-game league suspension.
WIN ONE FOR VRABEL: The Titans have company being winless this preseason with defending champ Philadelphia, Seattle, Dallas, Atlanta and Miami at 0-3. Mike Vrabel is the new coach in that group still looking for a first win before the regular season opens Sept. 9 in Miami.
Asked if Thursday night’s game with the Vikings matters, the man who won three Super Bowl rings as a linebacker with New England said, “Every time we go out on the field should matter. The adage that it’s just preseason, every time that any one of us go out there, we should be expected to play as a starter.”
KIZER’S NIGHT: The Packers are expected to give DeShone Kizer plenty of work after trading backup quarterback Brett Hundley to the Seahawks. Kizer was acquired in the offseason from Cleveland.
GRUMPY GRUDEN: Raiders coach Jon Gruden was so disappointed in the play of backup quarterbacks Connor Cook and E.J. Manuel last week that he said the team’s No. 2 QB behind Derek Carr might not be on the roster right now.
Cook and Manuel get a last shot to show Gruden they deserve that job when the Raiders visit the Seahawks.
“We’ve turned the ball over too many times,” the Oakland head coach said. “That’s number one, and we have to complete some drives, throw the ball more accurately. We have to throw the ball consistently better, take better care of the football and move the offense. That’s what we want to see.”