NFC Notes: Lions, Packers, Vikings

Lions

• The Athletic’s Jeff Howe expects the Lions to be in the mix for a quarterback in the draft or perhaps a second-tier free agent to push Jared Goff in 2022. 
• Lions OC Anthony Lynn agrees with HC Dan Campbell‘s play call selections in Week 10 and thinks they worked well together: “I would be a hypocrite if I didn’t agree with what he did. I thought it worked well. I thought we worked well together last week. He asked me my opinion on certain things and he makes those calls.” (Eric Woodyard)
• Lions LT Taylor Decker was held out of practice Thursday with an elbow injury. (Kyle Meinke)

Packers

Packers LBs coach Mike Smith compared second-year OLB Tipa Galeai to 49ers DE Dee Ford and praised his production in practice. 

“Not saying he’s Dee but these undersized guys can be some hard guys to block,” Smith said, via Bill Huber of SI.com. “We’ve just got to add weight on him, add some strength, but I’m extremely excited to have Tipa back. I just love guys that love football and that work. We call him the fly in the wine. That sucker’s all over the damned place in practice, games, all over. I can work with those guys all day because it means something to them.”

• Despite not practicing Wednesday with a toe issue, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers believes he will play on Sunday: “I’m definitely playing Sunday. Today was a mental day so I think a number of us were either limited or DNPs/ Thankful to get a day to just to do some rehab. See how the week plays out practice-wise, but definitely playing Sunday.” (Rob Demovsky)
• Packers HC Matt LaFleur said OT David Bakhtiari (knee) won’t practice on Thursday and is still considered day-to-day: “We’re trying to put him in the best possible situation for when he does return.” (Wes Hodkiewicz)

Vikings

• Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press reports Vikings DE D.J. Wonnum tested negative for COVID-19 on Thursday morning. He had a positive test on Wednesday but also had a negative screening later in the day, so it appears the first was a false positive. 
• NFL executive Brian McCarthy ruled out any transmission of COVID-19 between the Vikings and Chargers as part of the NFL’s contact tracing measures: “In fact, there were no cases in 2020 or this season of transmission among players or personnel of competing teams.” (Ben Goessling)
• Vikings RT Brian O’Neill, CB Mackensie Alexander and TE Chris Herndon were all cleared from false positives on Wednesday and returned to practice. (Andrew Krammer)