MATT LAFLEUR

It was the rally that sparked the Green Bay Packers toward the NFL’s best regular-season record.

The Green Bay Packers finished the regular season with the No. 1 seed in the NFC and the top spot in the final AP Pro32 poll.

Aaron Rodgers didn’t seem perturbed after Green Bay closed the regular season with a 37-30 loss at Detroit that snapped a five-game winning streak, but had no bearing on its playoff position. The reigning league MVP instead was encouraged to be working behind an offensive line that’s getting closer to full strength after 2020 All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari and rookie center Josh Myers returned from knee injuries. Bakhtiari was making his season debut. “We talked about momentum, and that was important, but I really wanted to get out there with Dave and Josh,” Rodgers said.

Aaron Rodgers knows the Green Bay Packers, who have clinched the NFC's No. 1 seed, can't improve their playoff positioning with a win over the lowly Detroit Lions. The reigning NFL MVP still wants to play Sunday at Ford Field, even though that would increase his chances of getting injured. “There’s risk every time you take the field," Rodgers said.

Aaron Rodgers threw two touchdown passes, A.

NFL coaches are taking precautions beyond the league’s COVID-19 protocols to help ensure players are available for games.

NFL coaches are taking precautions beyond the league’s COVID-19 protocols to help ensure players are available for games.

Aaron Rodgers says he won’t drag out any offseason decisions regarding his future with the Green Bay Packers and hasn’t ruled out retirement.

Kurt Benkert spent four seasons on NFL practice squad before suiting up for the team. When he finally got to suit up, Aaron Rodgers made sure he got on the field.

Jets coach Robert Saleh only worked at Central Michigan with Brian Kelly for one year, as a defensive assistant in 2004, and it was not a happy one. Saleh and now-Packers coach Matt LaFleur, the older brother of Jets coordinator Mike LaFleur, were on Kelly’s staff as low-level assistants in their 20s. According to a 2019 ESPN article, they thought they were invited to a party at Kelly’s house, ...

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers says his toe injury is a fracture but added that he doesn’t expect the situation to cause him to miss any games.

Those who wanted to see Aaron Rodgers laid low for misleading most everyone about his vaccination status will have to bide their time.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list.

The Green Bay Packers did all they could defensively to help out Jordan Love in his first career start.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will miss Sunday's game at Kansas City after being placed in the NFL’s COVID-19 protocol.

Green Bay would not explicitly confirm whether Rodgers tested positive and would not comment on whether he is vaccinated. Multiple media reports say the reigning NFL MVP is unvaccinated.

Green Bay Packers superstar Aaron Rodgers has said he is immunized against the coronavirus.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is in the NFL's COVID-19 protocol and will miss Sunday’s game at Kansas City.

The Green Bay Packers likely will have to face the unbeaten Arizona Cardinals without 2020 All-Pro receiver Davante Adams and defensive coordinator Joe Barry.

Aaron Rodgers completed two deep passes to Davante Adams on a last-minute drive, setting up Mason Crosby’s 51-yard field goal on the final play of the game that gave the Green Bay Packers a 30-28 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

Aaron Jones caught three of Aaron Rodgers’ four touchdown passes and rushed for a fourth score, and the Green Bay Packers had a welcome return to normal after an embarrassing opening-week loss.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said the Saints "absolutely embarrassed" his team, while Aaron Rodgers appeared to show caution against overreacting.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers says his relationship with general manager Brian Gutekunst is a “work in progress.”.

Randall Cobb can thank MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers for triggering the veteran receiver’s return to Green Bay.

Aaron Rodgers has returned from a tumultuous offseason of uncertainty eager to get the Green Bay Packers to the Super Bowl after falling a step short each of the last two years.

Aaron Rodgers was a no-show and Tom Brady was full-go.

Aaron Rodgers wasn’t with the Green Bay Packers for their first mandatory minicamp session.

Now that the calendar has turned to June, NFL teams can trade or release players and spread the salary cap hit over two years instead of one.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ teammates say the MVP’s uncertain status won’t distract them in their offseason preparations.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers wasn’t present for the first day of organized team activities.

With so much uncertainty surrounding Aaron Rodgers' future, Packers coach Matt LaFleur should consider readying another QB to start.

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur reiterated his hope that he’d get to continue working with Aaron Rodgers this season while offering no news on the quarterback’s status.

The Green Bay Packers have signed Blake Bortles as they attempt to add quarterback depth while MVP Aaron Rodgers’ future with the team remains uncertain.

Green Bay Packers CEO Mark Murphy said the team has been trying to resolve conflict with Aaron Rodgers for several months and remains committed to QB.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst says he can’t envision any scenario in which he’d deal quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Gutekunst and coach Matt LaFleur say they expect Aaron Rodgers to remain their teams starting quarterback in 2021 and beyond. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst and coach Matt LaFleur say they expect Aaron Rodgers to remain their team’s starting quarterback in 2021 and beyond. The subject came up again when Rodgers discussed his future after the NFC championship game. Absolutely he will be here for a long time.”LaFleur also said Monday he is promoting Maurice Drayton, who worked as assistant special teams coach this past season, to take over as special teams coach. The Packers announced Friday that special teams coach Shawn Mennenga was fired and that Mike Pettine wouldn’t return as defensive coordinator.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) walks off the field after the NFC championship NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Green Bay, Wis., Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)GREEN BAY, Wis. – Aaron Rodgers said he's not sure what his future holds in Green Bay. Green Bay allowed a total of 16 sacks in its other 16 games. The NFC championship game reflected the occasional inconsistency of Green Bay’s defense under Pettine. Green Bay’s most notable flaw during its seven-game streak was its occasional tendency to have a breakdown on special teams.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) holds the championship trophy after winning the NFC championship NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers in Green Bay, Wis., Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. The man with six NFL titles will become the first quarterback to play a Super Bowl on his team’s home field. No, a host team in the Super Bowl has never happened in 54 previous games. Green Bay hasn’t reached the Super Bowl since its 2010 championship season. Green Bay cut the lead to 28-23 late in the third quarter on Rodgers’ touchdown passes to Robert Tonyan and Davante Adams.

But all are credited with providing a steady helping hand, a sturdy shoulder and a willing ear to their team’s current head coach. PETTINEPettine went 10-22 (.313) as head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 2014-15, before joining Matt LaFleur, who was named Packers head coach in 2018 after just two seasons as an offensive coordinator, a year each with the Rams and Titans. Arians brought along Bowles, whom he coached at Temple in the mid-1980s and who had been his defensive coordinator in Arizona from 2013-14. It began with Frazier saying he didn’t want McDermott to make the same mistakes he did as a first-time head coach. It’s a business with a lot of egos, a lot of people concerned with who gets the credit.”SPAGNUOLOSpagnuolo, 61, compiled an 11-41 record (.212) as head coach of the St. Louis Rams from 2009-11 and as interim head coach of the New York Giants in 2017, when he went 1-3.

Thompson was Packers general manager from 2005-17 and drafted many notable players on the current roster, including two-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer, File)GREEN BAY, Wis. – Ted Thompson, whose 13-year run as Green Bay Packers general manager included their 2010 Super Bowl championship season, has died. Mike Sherman had been working as Packers coach and general manager up to that point. With Thompson as general manager, the Packers made eight consecutive playoff appearances from 2009-16, including the Super Bowl championship season in 2010. Gutekunst, who had been working with Thompson as player personnel director, was promoted to general manager and remains in that position.

Buffalo Bills' Micah Hyde (23) celebrates with teammates after an NFL divisional round football game against the Baltimore Ravens Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – Leslie Frazier’s faith in his Bills defense never wavered even at the lowest point of Buffalo’s season. It was mid-November and the Bills were entering their bye week on the heels of a 32-30 defeat at Arizona. In the NFC, the Packers are allowing an average 306 yards offense over their past seven outings. Here comes Patrick Mahomes, should he clear the NFL’s concussion protocol, and the league’s top-ranked offense.

The Packers then made Rodgers the starter in 2008 and have made the playoffs 10 times since then with one Super Bowl title. TOM TERRIFIC: Tom Brady can join some illustrious company with a win this week for another Super Bowl appearance. Brady will appear in his staggering 14th conference title game in 19 seasons as a starter when Tampa Bay visits Green Bay on Sunday. MIGHTY MATT: Packers coach Matt LaFleur is back in the NFC title game for the second time in two seasons as an NFL coach. All those coaches reached at least one Super Bowl in those years with the exception of Ryan, who lost to Indianapolis and Pittsburgh.

FILE - In this Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020, file photo, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley watches his players before an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins in Miami Gardens, Fla. On Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, the Los Angeles Chargers hired Staley to become the team's head coach. (AP Photo/Doug Murray, File)COSTA MESA, Calif. – Brandon Staley won't have to move that far for his first head coaching opportunity. Staley agreed to become the Los Angeles Chargers' coach on Sunday night after one season as the defensive coordinator for the crosstown Rams. “It’s not just that Brandon possesses a tremendous football mind that makes him the ideal head coach to lead our team forward,” general manager Tom Telesco said in a statement. He is the third assistant under Rams coach Sean McVay to get an NFL head coaching job, joining Green Bay's Matt LaFleur and Cincinnati's Zac Taylor.

(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur and Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay say their friendship and shared history shouldn't have much of an impact on their teams’ upcoming NFC divisional playoff matchup. The top-seeded Packers (13-3) host the Rams (11-6) on Saturday with an NFC championship game berth at stake. San Francisco’s head coach is Kyle Shanahan, who worked at Washington with Matt LaFleur and McVay from 2010-13. LaFleur was the quarterbacks coach on Quinn’s Atlanta staff from 2015-16 and worked for Mike Vrabel at Tennessee in 2018. They reunited in 2017 when McVay became the Rams’ head coach and hired LaFleur.

Green Bay Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari (69) plays during an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov 29. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)Green Bay Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari will miss the rest of the season after the three-time Pro Bowl selection injured his knee in practice Thursday. We’re still sad and hurting for Dave just because it’s our brother and it’s our left tackle, our teammate. Pro Bowl selection Elgton Jenkins has made 11 starts at left guard, two at center and one at right tackle this season. Turner has started six games at right tackle, four at right guard and three at left tackle.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020, in Detroit. Rodgers ran for a tiebreaking score in the third quarter and threw three touchdown passes, lifting the Green Bay Packers to a 31-24 win over the the Detroit Lions to clinch the NFC North title. “To have the whole thing come through Green Bay is something we’ve talked about for a long time," Rodgers said. “That would definitely be in our favor with the weather that we have in Green Bay. Green Bay repeated as division champion with its win and Minnesota’s loss to Tampa Bay earlier in the day.

“We’ve been able to roll a lot of guys in on the offensive line, started a lot of combinations,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. When Linsley left the Bears game, Green Bay shifted left guard Elgton Jenkins to center and inserted Runyan at left guard. Green Bay’s offensive line is coming off arguably its best performance of the season. “These guys are professionals, man,” offensive line coach Adam Stenavich said. Jenkins started games at every offensive line position but right guard at Mississippi State.

Green Bay had the ball at Minnesota's 41-yard line with 12 seconds and no timeouts left, but D.J. Each of the Vikings’ first four possessions ended with Cook touchdowns. Green Bay went a 2-point conversion got within 28-22 when replays determined the ball crossed the goal line on Jamaal Williams’ inside run. Green Bay got the ball back and reached Minnesota’s 41-yard line with 12 seconds and no timeouts left, but D.J. Four times in the second half, Green Bay reached Vikings territory without scoring.

The Packers (4-0) and Detroit Lions (1-3) don’t play this week and therefore are the first NFL teams to get a taste of how different off weeks will be amid a pandemic. “We have new protocols in place that are meant to keep everybody safe and healthy,” Lions coach Matt Patricia said. The NFL sent out a reminder Friday that the league’s agreement with the NFL Players Association in August means players who miss tests can be punished with a $50,000 fine. “You’ve got to look no further than Tennessee.”The protocols are impacting some players more than others. While the protocols have changed those plans, it has created opportunities for those players who already have their family members with them.

(AP Photo/Mark Zaleski, File)NFL players who want to kneel during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racism have far more support than Colin Kaepernick did four years ago. Lastly, some owners might still have an issue with it despite the leagues support of the players. Whatever our team ends up doing, were gonna support. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones strongly opposed kneeling when Kaepernick began the movement and he hasnt spoken on the issue. ... theyve all dealt with something at some point, whether its with the police or another interaction of just blatant racism, said Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

FILE - In this Oct. 27, 2019, file photo, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers speaks during a news conference following an NFL football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Green Bay Packers in Kansas City, Mo. Former Packers quarterback Brett Favre predicted on The Rich Eisen Show earlier this month that Rodgers would finish his career somewhere other than Green Bay. When asked whether the Packers draft choices might motivate Rodgers, LaFleur said the veteran quarterback doesnt need any extra incentive. Favre was 35 when the Packers drafted Rodgers. The difference is that Favre openly pondered retirement at the time the Packers drafted Rodgers, and Rodgers has talked about how he wants to play several more years.

Getty ImagesCHICAGO - The NFL's oldest rivalry takes on a different look to open the league's 100th season. It's a role reversal for the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. In Rodgers' experience the Packers trust, even using a new offense for the first time since he became starter in 2008. SAFETY SWITCHThe Packers will start free agent safety acquisition Adrian Amos, the former Bears safety, while his Bears replacement is former Packers safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. "It really doesn't matter, all the hoopla, kicking off the NFL season, the 100th season," Trubisky said.