Aaron Rodgers has finally broken his silence and returned to the Green Bay Packers, giving a candid press conference last week.

The Packers quarterback has been at odds with the organization and said he considered retiring this past offseason but is expected to play in 2021.

One major issue he had with the Packers’ front office was his lack of involvement in recruiting during his entire 16-year career with the team. This frustration eventually boiled down in 2020 when the team drafted quarterback Jordan Love, his presumed successor and eventual replacement. Rodgers felt blindsided by the move because the team did so without letting him know about their plans to draft another quarterback.

“Green Bay isn’t a huge vacation destination,” Rodgers said. “People are coming here to play with me and play with our team knowing they can win a championship here and the fact that I haven’t been used in those discussions was one I wanted to change moving forward.”

Rodgers told the organization that he wanted to be more involved with recruiting. But by March, he was frustrated by their lack of commitment to him.

The Packers and Rodgers agreed to the terms of his contract to bring him back to training camp. But it would leave Rodgers the option of leaving Green Bay in 2022.

“If you can’t commit to me past 2021, and I’m not a part of the recruiting process and free agency … if I’m not a part of the future, then instead of letting me be a lame-duck quarterback if you want to make a change and move forward then go ahead and do it,” Rodgers said in the press conference.

In the press conference, the quarterback revealed that he was frustrated with the organizations’ treatment of his teammates. He believes that veterans like Charles Woodson, Jordy Nelson, Julius Peppers, Clay Matthews and others weren’t treated with the respect they deserved.

“Great locker room guys, high-character guys who weren’t offered a contract at all or were extremely low-balled or, maybe in my opinion, not given the respect on the way out that guys of their status and stature and high character deserved,” Rodgers said.

Despite the issues with the organization, he still wants to play for them.

“I love this team, I love the fans, and the opportunity to play on Lambeau Field has been a dream come true, and to be in my 17th season is really special,” the quarterback stated.

Jordy Nelson a former All-Pro wide receiver and Aaron Rodgers‘ favorite target to throw to during his time with the Green Bay Packers, officially announced his retirement from the NFL after 11 seasons on Wednesday.

Ex-packer Jordy Nelson Retires At 33

During his tenure with the Packers, Nelson, 33, was the primary target for star quarterback Rodgers. Nelson, having a knack for finding a way to get open and away from the defense, made the quarterback’s life a little easier. Nelson was always a safe option for the offense, with Quarterbacks having a 120.5 passer rating when he is the targeted receiver.

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Nelson started his career being a second-round draft pick for the Packers. During his career there, he caught 550 passes for 7,848 yards and 69 touchdowns. He ranks second in Packers franchise history in touchdown receptions, third in receptions and fifth in yards receiving. He and Rodgers hold the franchise record for most touchdowns by a receiver-quarterback combination with 65. Nelson also had a pretty strong performance in the Super Bowl, and caught nine passes for 140 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Steelers.

Nelson would even go on to win the Super Bowl while playing with the Packers and making the All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams, a way of showing that is dominance on the field had not been forgotten.
During the 2015 season, however, Nelson suffered a gruesome torn ACL injury and was forced to miss the entire season.

After a strong rehabilitation process, Nelson was able to come back the following season in his same dominant form and was able to win Comeback Player of the Year at the NFL Awards ceremony in 2016. He also won Comeback Player of the Year at the ESPYS and was honored on stage during the time.

The GM of the Packers, Brian Gutekunst, the team who had drafted Nelson, had this to say regarding his retirement. “We want to congratulate Jordy on an incredible career that included achievements that will result in his eventual induction in the Packers Hall of Fame,”. “He is one of the greatest receivers in franchise history and played a vital role in the team’s success with not only his play on the field but also for what he provided as a great teammate and leader. We wish the best to Jordy, his wife, Emily, and the rest of their family.”

Former NFL player and teammate of Nelson’s James Jones was the first to reveal the news that Nelson would be retiring and congratulated the receiver, who played with the Oakland Raiders last season.

On Thursday, the Oakland Raiders released both AJ McCarron and Jordy Nelson. The two had spent only a year with the team, the major acquisitions from an offseason that featured star player after star player being banished from Oakland.

After being cut by the Green Bay Packers, Nelson was picked up by Jon Gruden. There were concerns over adding a 33-year-old receiver that relied on explosiveness but he put up 63 passes caught for 739 yards and three touchdowns. While not a bad stat line, it wasn’t enough to elevate the team.

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McCarron’s story is similar. In Septemeber, the Raiders traded a fifth-round pick to the Bills for the backup quarterback. McCarron had spent four years sitting behind Andy Dalton in Cincinnati, failed to beat out Nathan Peterman, the league’s worst starter, for a job, and now was being brought into Oakland. He’d attempt only three passes during his time there despite an up and down year for starter Derek Carr.

Throwing away a fifth-round pick for a backup quarterback wasn’t an odd thing for the Raiders front office. They had thrown away a third-rounder on oft-suspended wide receiver Martavis Bryant. He caught only 19 passes for 266 yards with the Raiders.

These cuts come as the Raiders try to reshape their franchise and right the wrongs of the last offseason. After dealing away Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack the team owns three first-round draft picks. They’ve brought in an elite wide receiver in Antonio Brown and shored up the offensive line by signing Trent Brown. Not only does Carr have weapons and protection, but he also seems to have a bit more faith from coach Gruden. With three moveable picks, the team would’ve surely moved up in the draft by now if they didn’t.

Before Bill Snyder came to Kansas State winning seemed impossible. Now, it seems like they always do. But after 30 years, Synder stepped down. To replace him, Kansas State hired Chris Klieman. Klieman is currently coaching at North Dakota State University.

Kansas State Hires Coach Chris Klieman

The hiring has not been viewed very favorably. For starters, Klieman was hired by the Kansas State Athletic Director Gene Taylor. Taylor previously worked in the same department as Klieman at NDSU. In fact, it was Taylor who made him head coach at NDSU in the first place. And yes, Klieman has had his fair share of success. (He’s gone 67-6 during his time at NDSU.) But the hiring screams of nepotism. There’s a few reasons for that.

First, Klieman has very little time coaching FBS schools. Sometimes going from the FCS to FBS works. Look at Jim Harbaugh and Frank Beamer. Then, there’s the Terry Allen‘s and Paul Wulff‘s of the world.

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Second, some say that Klieman wasn’t the reason why NDSU was successful. They point to his lack of influence when NDSU started its run of six FCS titles in seven years. Klieman was the defensive backs coach. How many DB coaches does the average fan know? However, Klieman served as defensive coordinator for the next two titles and was the head coach for the following three.

But even if Klieman was why they were successful, he faces another challenge in Kansas State. Recruiting day is only eight days away. Klieman is still at NDSU in the midst of a playoff run. Though, he’s now got Jordy Nelson and Darren Sproles, along with Super Bowl winner Carson Wentz to call on for help, recruiting at Kansas State may be a bigger task than at NDSU. There were no FBS schools in either of the Dakotas and only one in Minnesota. While there aren’t many great college players in the area, NDSU is a dream school for the few that are. Kansas has to go against dozens of power programs. There’s also the concern of recruiting from Texas or Oklahoma. Not a single player on the NDSU roster is from the two states.

It looks like a safe bet that NDSU will roll on in the FCS. Kansas State will have to wait and see.

Jordy Nelson is going from Green Bay to Oakland as part of a two-year contract.

Jordy Nelson deal with raiders news

The former Packers wide receiver has signed a deal with the Raiders reportedly worth $15 million, $13 of which is guaranteed.

Oakland is also releasing wideout Michael Crabtree, who had his worst season with the Raiders in 2017. The veteran caught 58 passes for 618 yards and eight touchdowns.

Though Nelson was statistically worse (53 receptions, 482 yards, six touchdowns, he was actually playing a solid chunk of his season with Brett Hundley. 

Nelson now joins a Raiders offense led by Derek Carr. Oakland’s receiving corps also includes Cordarrelle Patterson and Seth Roberts as well as new addition Griff Whalen.

Nelson had a great season in 2016: he won the Comeback Player of the Year Award. The 32-year-old wideout is entering his second season after an ACL injury. The Packers were unwilling to pay Nelson the back end of an extension that included a cap number of $11.5 million last season.

Among other major NFL news from Thursday is that Kirk Cousins has signed a three-year, $84 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings, the team the free-agent quarterback was expected to land with. The 29-year-old’s new contract is the richest in NFL history.

Furthermore, Houston Texans tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz is retiring at age 26.

Also, New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson died at age 90 on Thursday. Benson owned the team for more than thirty years.

The Green Bay Packers‘ woes continued on Sunday night, as they fell to the Washington Redskins 42-24 at FedEx Field for their fourth consecutive loss.

Watch: Aaron Rodgers Throws Controversial TD

Down 7-0 with 9:34 remaining in the second quarter after several three-and-outs, the Packers (4-6) finally found the end zone after a bit of magic.

On third-and-goal from outside the 10-yard line, Aaron Rodgers pulled off a brilliant pump fake to avoid the free rusher, and then ran out to his right. Rodger then threw a fast pass to Jordy Nelson in the back of the end zone.

The touchdown proved to be controversial: although Nelson cleanly caught the ball just in bounds, cornerback Josh Norman ran in and stripped the ball away from the wide receiver. The Redskins seemed to argue that Nelson did not maintain possession, although the officials ruled otherwise, and the score was tied 7-7.

The Redskins later responded when Kirk Cousins threw a TD pass to DeSean Jackson. Green Bay has struggled this season. Rodgers averaged a terrible 3.8 yards per attempt against Washington’s defense.

The Packers still have no running game (paging Christine Michael, who was inactive four days after the team claimed him off waivers).

Coach Mike McCarthy’s end-of-half clock-management decisions backfired again, and Green Bay’s cornerbacks continue getting beaten deep.

At two games out of first place in the NFC North with just six weeks remaining, the Packers’ chances at playoff contention are now very slim.

“We had a rough start to the game — three three-and-outs,” Rodgers said. “It’s tough. We didn’t get going early. It would’ve helped our defense out if we could’ve got out to a better start.”

McCarthy’s propensity for calling timeouts with his defense on the field late in the first half cost him again. He called one with 2:39 remaining, after Mike Daniels stuffed running back Robert Kelley for a 3-yard loss on first down from the Redskins 25. Two plays later, Cousins hit tight end Jordan Reed for a 26-yard gain that led to Kelley’s 10-yard TD run with 39 seconds left before halftime.

“Defense, we didn’t stop ’em,” McCarthy said. “Our pass defense, we didn’t get off the field. It was touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, field goal in the second half. I think that tells the story.”

The Packers will next visit Philadelphia on Monday, Nov. 28, while the Redskins (6-3) will visit the Dallas Cowboys in Thursday’s Thanksgiving matchup.

LANDOVER, MD – NOVEMBER 20: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers passes the ball against the Washington Redskins in the third quarter at FedExField on November 20, 2016 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

By all accounts, Packers receiver Jordy Nelson has had a pretty good life. He was a star at Kansas State, which earned him the attention of NFL scouts.

After that he was drafted in the second round by Green Bay, a franchise that any player would be proud to join. He’s also had Aaron Rodgers throwing to him, which has helped Nelson become one of the NFL’s top receivers. He’s also been elected to the Pro Bowl and won the Super Bowl, just for good measure.

And while he’s happily married to his wife, Emily, and has two sons, Nelson wasn’t always so lucky in the romance department. In fact, his future wife dumped him in seventh grade as he explained on Dan Le Batard’s radio show.

Nelson: I’ve known my wife my whole life. We grew up together, went to kindergarten together all the way through. We grew up three miles apart, which is not very far when you grew up out in the country in Kansas.

Le Batard: When did you become boyfriend and girlfriend?

Nelson: That would be end of freshman year of high school.

Le Batard: Oh, OK. I was under the impression she was your very first girlfriend. Sixth grade, I was told. I got bad information.

Nelson: Where are you getting this information? This is getting a little awkward now . . . Well, yeah, we dated and then she dumped me, so . . . Why I went back I don’t know. I guess it’s part of the story. It was seventh grade. She had an incredible reason why — it was the end of the school year and it was summertime, so apparently she didn’t want to be around me. She didn’t want to be tied down to one guy in seventh grade during the summer.

 

Photo: Jordy Nelson, Chicago Bears v Green Bay Packers