Rodgers’ status doesn’t bother Packers teammates
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ teammates say the MVP’s uncertain status won’t distract them in their offseason preparations.
Rodgers hasn’t been present for organized team activities this week following an ESPN report last month that he doesn’t want to return to Green Bay. Rodgers was noncommittal about his future in an ESPN interview Monday night.
“I don’t think it’s going to be that much of a distraction,” defensive tackle Kenny Clark said Tuesday. “We’ve got to control what we can control as a team, and we’ve just to come out, practice, handle business and play ball. You know, we’ve got to leave that situation to the organization and Aaron.”
Rodgers wasn’t the only notable Packer missing from Tuesday’s OTA session. Most of his receivers also weren’t there, including All-Pro Davante Adams.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur said he didn’t know whether it might have been a coordinated effort by the receivers to stay away.
“I’ve had individual conversations with each guy, but never once has that come up,” LaFleur said.
The NFL Players’ Association has advised players against attending voluntary workouts while citing the risks inherent amid the pandemic.
Although Rodgers wasn’t around, he still dominated discussions as Packers players spoke to reporters Tuesday. Many of the questions focused on the issues Rodgers addressed in the interview that ESPN aired Monday night.
“Love the coaching staff, love my teammates, love the fan base in Green Bay,” Rodgers said in the interview. “An incredible 16 years. It’s just kind of about a philosophy and maybe forgetting that it is about the people that make the thing go. It’s about character, it’s about culture, it’s about doing things the right way.
“A lot of this was put in motion last year and the wrench was just kind of thrown into it when I won MVP and played the way I played last year. This is just kind of, I think, a spill-out of all that. But it is about the people, and that’s the most important thing.”
LaFleur declined to comment on the issues Rodgers addressed while reiterating his hopes to have the threetime MVP back this fall. General manager Brian Gutekunst has said he has no plans to trade Rodgers, who has three years remaining on his contract.
Quarterback Josh Allen and Buffalo Bills players are split on whether to get vaccinated at a time
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, frustrated at how the team has treated him, remains noncommittal about his future.
coach Sean McDermott raised concerns his team could fall behind in having COVID-19 protocol restrictions loosened for the start of training camp.
In addressing what’s become a divisive issue among several high-profile Buffalo players and at least one of their spouses on Tuesday, McDermott focused his message on attempting to educate players to get vaccinated.
Without saying how many Bills have received the vaccine, McDermott said time is running short for Buffalo to return to a sense of normalcy in terms of holding full-team meetings and practices.
“I’m concerned about it. I’m being very upfront,” McDermott said.
“I think that time element comes into play a little bit right now, and I think, a little bit, it’s working maybe against us or against maybe more players getting it.”
He was referring to the minimum six-week period for those receiving a twoshot vaccine to be deemed fully vaccinated. The time frame will soon be pushing into the start of training camp in late July.
The number of vaccinated players could affect Buffalo’s proposal to resume camp at its traditional preseason site in suburban Rochester.
PGA apologizes for unruly fans
PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh has apologized to winner Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka for fans rushing onto the 18th hole at the PGA Championship on Sunday.
After Mickelson’s approach landed on the 18th green, spectators rushed past the ropes, marshals and security at the Ocean Course, quickly swarming the competitors as they played the 72nd hole.
Waugh said Monday the organization regretted that the scene “made two players and their caddies feel vulnerable.”
Waugh said the charge came from “a moment of high elation and pent-up
emotion by spectators” and overwhelmed security.
The LPGA Tour chose Princeton athletic director Mollie Marcoux Samaan as its commissioner Tuesday, the second woman to lead the tour since its formation in 1950.
Marcoux Samaan succeeds Mike Whan, who announced in January he was resigning and then took over as CEO of the U.S. Golf Association.
Those clubs agreed to UEFA’s terms to forfeit 5% of their prize money from European competitions in the 2022-23 season and pay a combined 15 million euros ($18.4 million) as a “gesture of goodwill.”
• Tobin Heath will join the U.S. women’s national team in practice for next month’s Summer Series in Texas but won’t play in any event matches because of a knee injury.
U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski will use the matches against Portugal, Jamaica and Nigeria as a final evaluation before he names an 18-player Olympic roster. The U.S. also plans to play two asyet unannounced sendoff matches in July before heading to Tokyo for the Olympic tournament.
“Obviously, the most ideal thing for us is that Tobin is fully fit and able to play in our sendoff series before we go to the Olympics, because that will give us a very good benchmark of where she’s at and how much she can play there. But we’re not going to know anything until we see her in camp in a couple of weeks,” Andonovski said.