NFC Notes: Bears, Lions, Packers

Bears

Bears president Kevin Warren said the organization will address the on-field product next week at the conclusion of the season.

“As we’ve said all along, we just continually will stay focused on finishing the season strong, take a big-picture, methodical look at everything,” Warren said, via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. “I’m looking forward to heading to Green Bay tomorrow. Hopefully the team can keep playing well.”

Bears addressed speculation on whether he believes he will return or not.

“Expect is a word of expectation,” he said. “That’s a word that belongs in to the future, right? I would say that we’re going to have those meetings. I welcome those meetings during the course of the next few days after the game, early part of next week and we’ll have those meetings at the appropriate time. And right now, we’re focused on this game. I feel really good about where this team is,” he said. “This team is on the rise. I feel really good about the second half of the season with where the whole football team is going right now and I love the camaraderie, the relationships that we built and you can certainly see the progress. So yeah, I feel good about it.”

Warren did add that he’s pleased with the direction of where the team is currently headed.

“I’m very pleased with the energy of our team, and it’s not only on game day,” Warren said. “It’s around the practice facility, around Halas Hall. Just the energy. You all see it in the locker room. Guys are playing hard, they’re competing and so we’ll continually just build forward as a franchise. I’m just really energized as a franchise of where we are, with what we have going on with the stadium, what we have going on internally, just building our brand and what we have going on with our football team.”

• When asked about Bears HC Matt Eberflus’ future with the team, president Kevin Warren said they are focused on finishing this season and then will take a “methodical look” at how to move forward: “As we’ve said all along, we just continually will stay focused on finishing the season strong, take a big picture, methodical look at everything. I’m looking forward to heading to Green Bay tomorrow. Hopefully the team can keep playing well,” via Courtney Cronin. 
• As for the current state of the Bears, Warren responded he’s been pleased with the energy around the locker room: “I’m very pleased with the energy of our team, and it’s not only on game day. It’s around the practice facility, around Halas Hall. Just the energy. You all see it in the locker room. Guys are playing hard, they’re competing and so we’ll continually just build forward as a franchise. I’m just really energized as a franchise of where we are, with what we have going on with the stadium, what we have going on internally, just building our brand and what we have going on with our football team.” (Cronin)
• Bears DT Justin Jones was fined $10,927 for unnecessary roughness.

Lions

• Lions HC Dan Campbell on the knee injury suffered by TE Sam LaPorta: “It’s not as bad as it looked, but it’s not good news. We’ll know more tomorrow.” (Dave Birkett)
• Campbell added that WR Kalif Raymond is essentially in the same boat. LaPorta is scheduled for an MRI on Monday.
• Tom Pelissero believes that the team should look into signing veteran TE Zach Ertz if they end up needing a replacement for LaPorta.

Packers

• ESPN’s Rob Demovsky notes Packers QB Jordan Love has hit $2.5 million in salary escalators for playing at least 65 percent of the snaps, placing in the top ten in touchdown passes and placing in the top 16 in three major statistical categories.
• He can hit another $1 million if he finishes in the top ten in passing yards and passer rating, where he’s 10th and 12th respectively entering Week 18, per Demovsky, plus another $4 million in playoff escalators. Those include $500,000 for making the playoffs, $500,000 for winning a playoff game, $1 million for winning the NFC title game and $1 million for winning the Super Bowl. 
• All told, Love has already increased his 2024 base salary from $5.5 million to $8 million and could get it as high as $13 million. 
• Demovsky consulted two agents and an NFL team source about a potential new deal for Love, which would have to come after May 3 next year because that’s when he signed his latest extension and NFL rules mandate a year in between new deals. 
• One agent thought Love could get $30 million a year on a new extension, while the other said it should be well above $40 million a year: “Everybody has to be above [Giants QB] Daniel Jones.”
• The team source, a high-ranking scout for a team that recently signed a high-profile quarterback extension, landed in between those two projections: “The franchise tag [will be] $35 million. I’m sure that’s where the agent starts, but it shouldn’t be that [high].”
• Packers HC Matt LaFleur praised CB Jaire Alexander since his return from suspension: “He’s been awesome. He’s had a great attitude, came in with great energy. I told Ja this from Day 1, he’s very charismatic, he has the energy to light up the room… His energy can uplift everybody,” via Ryan Wood. 
• LaFleur said they’ve ruled out RB A.J. Dillon (stinger) and S Rudy Ford (hamstring) from Week 18, via Matt Schneidman.