Derek from Eau Claire, WI
I got to spend a day watching my son get high-fives from players, analyzing practice with my father-in-law (with Aaron Rodgers in attendance), enjoying the sunshine, seeing the new rookies in action, and oh yeah, meeting the one and only Weston Hodkiewicz. And it’s only June. What a time to be alive!
It was the highlight of my day – no, my week – no, my entire offseason program.
John from Stevens Points, WI
What is the general mood at this minicamp? Excitement? Panic? Concern?
Anticipation. The Packers lost some key players this offseason but once again appear to have all the necessary tools to pursue a championship.
Thomas from Cedar Rapids, IA
I liked the article on Amari Rodgers. 4% body fat? Yeah, me too…maybe with another number thrown in front of the “4.” It amazes me how these guys keep their bodies in that kind of condition. It truly is a year-round effort. Concerning Coach Vrable’s comment, I half-expected you to add in parentheses “…which is nice.” With fan expectations of more jet sweeps and better reception numbers for him, at the end of the year, do you see Rodgers’ contributions being more on offense or special teams?
I liked the Rodgers pick a year ago because he seemed like the perfect receiver for this offense – a slot option who can make plays off jet-motions. This offseason, Rodgers dialed into his nutrition and developed a firmer grasp of the playbook, and it’s showing in practice. Rodgers had one of the best catches of the offseason program Wednesday when he dove for a touchdown pass from Jordan Love during red zone. He also converted a third-and-10 with a 15-yard cross in No. 1 two-minute. I think you’re going to see a lot more of Amari this summer.
Excellent article, Wes, regarding Wednesday’s practice – concise and to the point. It’s refreshing to get content like this with the current state of sensationalized sports reporting. Regarding Aaron Rodgers stating he’s making a yearly decision about retiring, I find it hard to believe he’d sign a four-year deal to only hang the cleats up after one season. I also find it hard to believe he’ll play another four seasons. Thoughts? Is there some cap structure that points to anything in particular?
To paraphrase Pablo Myers, it’s the story I’m most proud of. Rodgers’ contract was structured like that for two reasons. One, it helped spread out his signing bonus and provide the Packers with some needed cap relief in 2022. Two, it set up a “pay-as-you-go” system for Rodgers if he chooses to play in 2023 and beyond. Rodgers said he “definitely” plans on finishing his career with the Packers and the contract reflects that commitment.
Hey Wes, in Spoff’s excellent article yesterday (“Aaron Rodgers returns to spotlight at Packers minicamp”), he quoted AR as stating expectations regarding the rookie WRs must be “reasonable.” Do you think this represents an evolution/adaptation of AR’s past expectations of WRs who made mistakes (eg poor route-running, failure to execute and his normally fiery response?
Maybe somewhat, but I think Rodgers was mostly talking about the gradual transfer of potential into production. You’ll see deposits made into that knowledge bank throughout the year – just like for Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Randall Cobb as rookies. I personally loved how we used that photo of Rodgers talking with Samori Toure for Spoff’s story. I saw that moment live after Toure ran a route on air and felt it perfectly captured Rodgers at this stage of his career – educating the young wideouts on what he needs, while leaning on the veterans to lead the way.