NFC Notes: Sam Darnold, Bears, Packers, Vikings

Bears

  • ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler expects the Bears to be interested in interviewing Vikings DC Brian Flores and Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury
  • Fowler highlights Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy as a candidate to watch for the Bears, as he could have interest in leaving Dallas with his contract expiring and returning to the NFC North. Fowler explains enough people have mentioned that scenario to where it’s worth keeping in mind. 
  • When asked about his maturation as the Bears’ starting quarterback, Caleb Williams said his goal over the offseason is to continue developing and learning: “This offseason is going to be a big offseason for me and I’m excited about it. I have things, maturity-wise of playing the position, that I’m excited about learning. Things are going to take time and I’m well aware of that and OK with that. But I’m definitely going to try to push myself to exhaustion mentally and physically this offseason to be able to withstand a long season.” (Dan Weiderer)

Packers

Packers CB Jaire Alexander aggravated a knee injury in Week 11, causing him to miss the rest of the season. Matt LaFleur said it’s been unfortunate to lose Alexander.

โ€œItโ€™s unfortunate,โ€ LaFleur said, via Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. โ€œIt is what it is. I feel for him. Obviously, he was trying to get his knee right. It wasnโ€™t getting right and so, yeah, itโ€™s a tough deal for all of us.โ€

Packers CB Carrington Valentine has taken a “next-man-up mentality” and feels like his career is “trending upwards.”

โ€œIโ€™m just kinda used to it now, honestly,โ€ Valentine said. โ€œItโ€™s really next-man-up mentality. We always gonna go out there and compete and just put our best foot forward โ€ฆ Iโ€™m probably my biggest critic. Itโ€™s always things to clean up, so I still feel like Iโ€™m still trending upwards. I still feel like thereโ€™s more to give for sure.โ€

Packers CB Eric Stokes has also earned increased playing time with Alexanders injury. He’s been getting more comfortable with their system as the games have gone by. 

โ€œFinally getting more comfortable as the weeks go on with the scheme, technique,โ€ Stokes said. โ€œIt was just a lot of little things just getting used to the technique, getting used to some of the other little things all over and some of the routes and some of the things that were getting. I just had to get used to it and now pretty much, we know what type of defense we run, so we pretty much get hit with the same things over and over, so then you start picking up on it.โ€

Vikings

  • ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler polled a group of league executives and a slight majority believed the Vikings would extend or tag QB Sam Darnold after his breakout season, with the tag projected to be about $41 million right now. 
  • Fowler adds he hasn’t spoken to one team that thinks Darnold will get top-ten quarterback money in free agency, with one AFC executive citing the middle-tier of the position at around $35-$40 million a year.
  • Another AFC executive thought the Vikings would let Darnold walk: “They have [J.J.] McCarthy but they also have Daniel Jones, who can be the next resurrection project for them โ€” and both would be much cheaper.”
  • Vikings RB Aaron Jones is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. He’s hoping to finish his career in Minnesota: โ€œI hope to be here to the end of my career, honestly. This is an excellent place, an excellent upstairs, training room, all across the board. This is an excellent place. So… this is where Iโ€™d like to finish my career at.โ€ (Andrew Krammer)
  • Vikings CB Byron Murphy earned a $250,000 incentive for being elected to the Pro Bowl, per Joel Corry. 

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