NFC Notes: Bears, Aaron Rodgers, Packers, Vikings

Bears

Bears HC Matt Nagy said he wants to get RB David Montgomery 20 carries a game.

“Depending on what the game is, what’s happened the last couple years and why some of David’s carries—which aren’t low—haven’t been quite as high is a lot of guys get it in to four-minute mode in the fourth quarter,” Nagy said, via SI.com. “That’s where they can get those extra for or five carries, which can bump them into the top five, you know, with 20 rushes a game. That’s our goal.”

Nagy continued to praise the way Montgomery plays the game.

“We want to have the lead so that we can give him the ball, so he has touches,” Nagy said. “Because you know from just seeing him run the football, that guy in four-minute mode it takes more than one guy to bring him down. He’s one of my favorite players on the team. 

“I love his work ethic. He cares so much. He’s, I guarantee you every single day, he’s out here working. He wants to have a great year. He’s motivated.”

Packers

Former Packers LB A.J. Hawk said on The Pat McAfee Show after spending a week with QB Aaron Rodgers in Montana, he believes the quarterback is ready to compete this coming season and will not move on from playing in Green Bay.

“He likes to compete. Does that look like a guy who’s going to sit out and retire to you?” Hawk said. “Aaron looks great. He seems mentally in a good spot.

“What have I said from the start? I said, ‘I don’t see him playing anywhere else.’ I don’t see Green Bay trading him. I don’t see that happening. I don’t know how it has to work, but yeah, I feel like he’s going to be in Green Bay.”

Vikings

Vikings TE Irv Smith said he has “very high expectations” for himself this season and is focused on scoring “a lot” of touchdowns. 

“I have very high expectations, especially for myself,” Smith said, via Kevin Patra of Around the NFL. “I don’t want to put an exact number out there because I don’t want to say ‘I’m gonna score 15 touchdowns or however many,’ but it’s gonna be a lot. I’m going to be scoring a lot, making a lot of plays and helping my offense in any way, helping my team. I just want to be able to be a playmaker out there, whether it’s in the run game, pass game, scoring touchdowns, making a key block, whatever it is. I just want to, at the end of the day, win a Super Bowl and have the accolades that I want for myself at the end of the year.”