NFC Notes: Bears, Lions, Packers, Vikings

Bears

• The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain reports the NFL fined Bears DL Mario Edwards Jr. $9,522 for unsportsmanlike conduct last weekend.
• According to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, DE Bilal Nichols will not be suspended for his ejection on Sunday.
• The Bears are in the NFL’s “enhanced mitigation protocols” due to a bunch of positive COVID tests in recent days. (Pelissero)

Lions

• Lions S Tracy Walker was fined $10,300 for taunting. (Tom Pelissero)
• Lions HC Dan Campbell said CB A.J. Parker will be out for a while with a shoulder injury. (Justin Rogers)

With the injuries among the offensive line, Packers TE Robert Tonyan has been asked to play closer to the line of scrimmage more often. While he hasn’t been utilized in the passing game as often as he was last year, the team is winning ball games, which is his paramount focus.

“Just as the competitor I am, and how hard I work every day this offseason putting in everything I can,” Tonyan said, via PackersNews.com. “I saw what I did last year, and I want to be better than I was last year. I kind of had to realize that stats don’t really define being better than last year. I became so much better at blocking. I became so much more mentally just aware of what the offense is doing, what our job is and what our goals are. I wouldn’t say it’s frustrating or anything like that. At the end of the day, we just want to win ballgames, and that’s what we’re doing.” 

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers believes that incorporating Tonyan more in the passing game can help open things up for the rest of the passing game.

“I think it can open up some other things,” Rodgers said. “Teams are still trying to take away Davante in a number of different ways, a lot of double coverage. There were actually a few times where he was singled up today, and tried to go to him in those situations, but that will be the focus moving forward, I’m sure, every single week. It starts and ends with him, but the more we can get guys like Allen involved and Bobby involved, it’s going to slowly give ‘Tae a few more one on ones probably.” 

• NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero reports the NFL fined Packers seventh-round RB Kylin Hill $3,776 for unnecessary roughness vs. Chicago.
• Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer says the Packers and WR Davante Adams have not had any further contract talks on a long-term extension. 
• Packers HC Matt LaFleur said the team is in the advanced COVID-19 protocols due to DC Joe Barry‘s positive test. (Tom Silverstein)
• LaFleur added he hopes WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling can return this week: “Absolutely there’s hope for that. We’ll see. I know he’s out there running today, and we’ll see how he feels tomorrow. I know he’s working hard. He wants to be out there. Certainly, we miss the element he brings.” (Ryan Wood)

Vikings

• According to Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Vikings will gain $1 million in cap space in the DL Stephen Weatherly trade. 
• The Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson reports the Vikings would’ve released Weatherly had he declined to take a $500,000 pay cut in the offseason.
• Vikings HC Mike Zimmer said CB Cameron Dantzler is ready for a bigger role with CB Patrick Peterson on injured reserve. (Courtney Cronin)