NFC Notes: Lions, Packers, Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers

Former Packers FB John Kuhn said he’s spoken to Aaron Rodgers about his situation, and mentioned that the quarterback has witnessed several careers play out around him and is trying to “take his own destiny within his own hands.” 

“I have talked to Aaron Rodgers,” Kuhn said, via The Zach Gleb Show. “I won’t say exactly what we talked about. I will say he’s conflicted because this man loves to play the game of football. This man loves to be a Green Bay Packer and this man truly sees careers. He’s watched friends leave. He watched Brett Favre’s career towards the end. He’s watched all these things play out in front of his eyes. He’s taken notes throughout his entire career. He’s seen some situations that didn’t feel were done or finished the way that they could or should have. And he’s just trying to take his own destiny within his own hands. To that effect I actually admire him because not many players in the NFL have that opportunity. I sure as heck didn’t. I played until everybody told me you can’t play anymore and it’s a humbling feeling and Aaron Rodgers has an opportunity to try and take a little bit of that power back.”

 Kuhn feels that Rodgers has “leverage” in the situation and believes the quarterback wants to remain with the Packers under a new contract. 

“He has a little bit of leverage here in this situation and I think that’s going to put the Green Bay Packers in a tough spot,” Kuhn said. “Ultimately, at the end of the day, I truly believe Aaron wants to come back to Green Bay, but he doesn’t want to do it on a lame-duck contract which, even though there’s three years on his contract if you really look at the terms of it, it pretty much sets up for a clean break at the end of the 2021 season for the Packers himself considering that Jordan Love is on a rookie salary. So I think that he wants more insurance that he’s going to be a long-term starting quarterback option for the Green Bay Packers and that I believe is something that would intrigue him to make amends with the team and come back to this season.”

Kuhn mentioned that Rodgers has expressed “multiple times” that he’d like to play into his 40s and would love to stay with the Packers long-term. 

“He said multiple times on several different outlets that he plans to play into his 40s and he really wants to do it in Green Bay. I don’t see that feeling from him having changed, and I believe that’s still the main goal of him and sometimes it takes some drastic measures to get to the spots.”

Kuhn doesn’t think Rodgers and the Packers’ relationship is irreparable. 

“Absolutely not. Absolutely not,” Kuhn said. “I still believe there’s an opportunity for a resolution here. It’s going to take two men that are dug in right now trying to meet in the middle somewhere where they’re both happy.”

Lions

Lions TE T.J. Hockenson believes the organization is headed “in the right direction” after drafting first-round OT Penei Sewell.

“We’re moving in the right direction. That’s just another piece to our puzzle that we can use,” Hockenson said, via Eric Woodyard of ESPN. “I think you ask anybody on this team, I think we’re all ready to get this thing rolling.”

Oregon OL coach Alex Mirabel said Sewell has proven natural instincts on the field. 

“He can do things, he can feel things, he can see things that other people don’t,” Mirabal said. “He’s got a sixth sense about him. I would say, ‘Hey, Penei, why did you do that?’ and he’s like, ‘Well, coach, I just saw it.’ And that’s what elite players have. Either you got it or you don’t. You can’t train it.”

Packers

Packers’ sixth-round OT Cole Van Lanen recalled receiving a phone call from GM Brian Gutekunst about being drafted by the organization. 

“I saw it was a Green Bay number and I answered it, and I wasn’t even expecting it to be [Packers general manager Brian] Gutekunst and [coach] Matt LaFleur,” Van Lanen said, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN. “I just couldn’t believe it. They said, ‘How would you love to be a Packer?’ and I was just absolutely stoked.”

Van Lanen, who joins from Wisconsin, said signing with the nearby Green Bay Packers an “unbelievable” experience. 

“I had my family here, my very close relatives and people that have been here since day one and love to be at all my stuff. For me to be going to Green Bay is just unbelievable for me and also everyone that’s supported me and been around me. That’s what was going through [my head]. It was just absolutely unbelievable.”

Van Lanen doesn’t feel extra pressure to succeed given he’s a Green Bay native. 

“I wouldn’t say [there is] extra pressure,” Van Lanen said. “Obviously I’m beyond excited, but I mean going into this, this was a day of my life I’ll never forget, but this was just the start and that was the way I was looking at it. If one of 32 teams picked me, it’s back working and getting better and being able to play this fall and making any team that picked me better, and fortunately it’s the Packers. I’m just really excited to help this team win and earn a spot on this team, so that’s kind of where I’m at now. I’m super, super excited but that’s the kind of mentality I had for whoever drafted me. Yeah, it’s the Packers but it doesn’t change that.”