Category: Latest Packers News

New Packers OT Dennis Kelly pulls clever prank during first practice in Green Bay

We already know new Packers OT Dennis Kelly has a sense of humor.

We know new Green Bay Packers offensive tackle Dennis Kelly has a sense of humor.

On the first day of practice with his new team on Thursday, Kelly pulled a clever prank on unsuspecting observers at Ray Nitschke Field in Green Bay.

Instead of wearing his team-issued No. 79 uniform, Kelly donned David Bakhtiari’s No. 69, giving the impression that the All-Pro left tackle had come off the PUP list and was miraculously ready to begin practicing despite tearing his ACL on Dec. 31 of last year.

The two are both tall and lean offensive tackles with long dark hair flowing out of the back of their helmets, making it difficult to determine that the player wearing Bakhtiari’s uniform was actually the new guy in town.

Bakhtiari’s brother, Eric, was quick to celebrate the fact that the prank got at least one reporter at practice:

Kelly, a veteran who has played over 100 career games in the NFL, looks like he’ll fit right in with the Packers offensive line group.

To learn more about Kelly and read comments about the new offensive tackle from coach Matt LaFleur and Brian Gutekunst, click here.

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WR Randall Cobb practicing with Packers after trade from Texans

Randall Cobb is on the field and practicing with the Packers on Thursday after being traded from the Texans.

Randall Cobb is officially back with the Green Bay Packers.

The veteran slot receiver was on the field and practicing with the Packers on Thursday morning after a trade from the Houston Texans was completed on Wednesday night.

Cobb was back wearing his old No. 18 uniform at Ray Nitschke Field.

Here’s a look at Cobb on the field on Thursday:

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Packers, Davante Adams have differing opinions of NFL’s highest-paid WR

The divide in negotiations between the Green Bay Packers and All-Pro receiver Davante Adams looks like a simple one.

The divide in negotiations between the Green Bay Packers and All-Pro receiver Davante Adams looks like a simple one. Neither side can agree on who is the highest-paid receiver in the NFL, a result of DeAndre Hopkins’ outlier contract extension with the Arizona Cardinals.

The disagreement is a substantial one because Adams wants to be the new highest-paid receiver after an All-Pro season in which he led the NFL in touchdown catches in 2020.

“It’s how you interpret what the highest receiver in the National Football  League is getting paid,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said Thursday. “Certainly, I agree with him, he’s definitely worth that, we believe that as well, there just might be a difference between what we believe is the highest-paid receiver and what he might.”

Adams, who is entering a contract year in 2021, expressed his frustrations with the state of negotiations on Wednesday. He said he wouldn’t settle for anything less than becoming the NFL’s highest-paid receiver, regardless of Aaron Rodgers’ future with the Packers.

“Now we’re in a pretty tough spot,” Adams said.

In Adams’ mind, the highest-paid receiver is Hopkins, who signed a two-year extension with $54.5 million in new money. His average per year is $27.25 million. The next highest-paid receiver is Julio Jones at $22 million per year, highlighting where the Packers might have reservations about matching Hopkins’ number.

Also, Hopkins signed his deal after getting a trade out of Houston. The Packers would likely argue the two situations are different, but the team also set a precedent for this situation when it made David Bakhtiari the NFL’s highest-paid left tackle last year, eclipsing the number set by Laremy Tunsil after he was traded to Houston.

Only two other players at wide receiver – Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper – make $20 million or more per year on their current deals.

Adams’ bargaining spot is strong. But the team still has him under contract for another year, and the franchise tag is an option if all else fails.

Then again, the Packers have an increasingly tricky salary cap situation to navigate, both this year and the next, and Adams – who has missed six games over the last two seasons – will turn 29 this year. Great players like Adams deserve their money, but there is real danger on the Packers’ side.

“We value him. He’s such a great player. He’s a warrior when he goes out there,” Gutekunst said. “Obviously, we’d like to figure something out. We’ll continue to work on that as we go.”

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Packers adding experienced depth in offensive tackle Dennis Kelly

The Packers like the experience of new OT Dennis Kelly, who spent time in Matt LaFleur’s offense in Tennessee.

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The Green Bay Packers signed veteran offensive tackle Dennis Kelly on Thursday, providing the offensive line with another veteran and adding depth at offensive tackle going into the 2021 season.

The team likes what Kelly can bring as an experienced player with a past history in Matt LaFleur’s offense.

“We lost Corey Linsley and Rick Wagner, a couple of guys that played a lot of snaps for us last year. And Dennis started 17 games last year for Tennessee. Familiar with Matt’s offense, Matt had him,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “I think at the tackle spot for us, gives us some depth. We have some young players that we’re really excited about. Overall, it strengthens what I thought was already a pretty strong group.”

Gutekunst said the move wasn’t made in response to the health of David Bakhtiari, who started training camp on the PUP list while recovering from an ACL injury.

The Packers wanted more experience at a premium position.

Kelly has played in 104 career games with 47 starts, including all 16 at right tackle for Tennessee last season. He was with LaFleur and the Titans during the 2018 season. The offense stayed mostly the same in Tennessee after LaFleur left, giving Kelly plenty of experience in the system as he arrives in Green Bay.

“Dennis, first of all, what a great person. He’s going to bring so much to our locker room,” LaFleur said. “Dennis shows up each and every day. He got the most time as a starter that he’s had in his career. He’s a massive man. It’s going to be a pretty seamless transition because when I left Tennessee they named Arthur Smith as the offensive coordinator, and a lot of the terminology stayed the same. I think it’ll expedite his learning curve and getting him going out there on the field.”

Kelly played over 1,000 snaps for the Titans last season and didn’t give up a sack, per Pro Football Focus. He also committed just two penalties. He could be the 2021 version of Wagner, who gave the Packers quality play over 610 snaps at right tackle after being signed in 2020.

With Kelly on board, the Packers can configure the offensive line in several different ways, a valuable asset especially with Bakhtiari’s status for the start of the season in doubt. If Bakhtiari isn’t ready, it’s possible Billy Turner could play left tackle with Kelly on the right side, allowing Elgton Jenkins to stay at left guard.

When everyone is healthy, Kelly, Bakhtiari, Turner and Jenkins are all capable of playing offensive tackle, giving the Packers four-deep depth on the edges.

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Packers GM confirms trading for Randall Cobb was all for Aaron Rodgers

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst on trading for Randall Cobb: “This was a very important thing for Aaron, and that’s why we did it.” 

The Green Bay Packers wouldn’t have traded for veteran slot receiver Randall Cobb without the insistence from quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

General manager Brian Gutekunst confirmed the motivation behind the trade was making Rodgers happy.

“I think that’s a big part of it. Without Aaron, we probably wouldn’t be pursuing that,” Gutekunst said Thursday. “This was a very important thing for Aaron, and that’s why we did it.”

The Packers sent a sixth-round pick to the Houston Texans for Cobb.

Giving up draft capital for an older player – especially after trading up to draft a similar player in Amari Rodgers in the third round of April’s draft – is not a move the Packers would make under normal circumstances.

Cobb, who turns 31 in August, departed Green Bay following the 2018 season. He spent the 2019 season with the Dallas Cowboys and the 2020 season with the Texans.

Cobb is one of Rodgers’ closest friends. The NFL’s MVP made it clear to Gutekunst and the Packers that getting Cobb back would be a big part of him returning to Green Bay.

“We realized this was an important piece for Aaron early on in this thing,” Gutekunst said. “Having Randall Cobb in our building is a positive. What he brings as a player and a person to our locker room is a positive, specifically to our quarterback, which is a very important piece of what we’re trying to accomplish in 2021.

Gutekunst called it a “unique situation” and confirmed he hasn’t relinquished any personnel control to Rodgers, who said repeatedly on Wednesday he wants more input on personnel decisions.

Rodgers said he was hoping to get a “true slot receiver” in the offense. Cobb has been one of the NFL’s most productive slot weapons since entering the league as a second-round pick of the Packers in 2011.

Coach Matt LaFleur said the process of getting Cobb worked into the offense will be “expedited” thanks to his relationship with Rodgers, who was his quarterback for the first eight seasons of his NFL career.

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What to know from Brian Gutekunst’s second press conference of training camp

Highlighting all the important things Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said on Thursday.

A day after speaking with reporters to open training camp, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst answered more questions from the assembled media on Thursday morning.

Here’s what to know from the 20-minute press conference:

– Gutekunst confirmed the trade for receiver Randall Cobb and signing of offensive tackle Dennis Kelly.

– Gutekunst confirmed that Aaron Rodgers wanting Cobb back in Green Bay was a “big part” of the trade. “Without Aaron, we probably wouldn’t have pursued that.” He reiterated: “This was a very important thing for Aaron, and that’s why we did it.”

– On signing Kelly: Provides depth. Mentioned losing veterans Corey Linsley and Rick Wagner this offseason. Likes the fit with Kelly, who played for Matt LaFleur in Tennessee. “It strengthens what I already thought was a pretty strong group.”

– He’s happy with the roster. “It’s going to be hard to make our football team.”

– No regrets with the handling of exiting veterans in Green Bay. Always done with “class and dignity.” Called it a hard business. Decisions have to be made for the “team to grow.” Understands Rodgers has seen a lot of good veterans leave Green Bay.

– When asked if there are exceptions for letting a veteran go a year early than a year late, he said: “Not very often.”

– He confirmed he wasn’t aware of Rodgers’ issues until this offseason. Needs “both sides” to work through them.

– On getting Rodgers’ input: “It’s no different than it’s always been.” Said it’s about how the team incorporates the input.

– On Cobb: “Having Randall Cobb in our building is a positive.”

– He believes Matt LaFleur can find ways of fitting Cobb into the offense, even with Amari Rodgers playing a similar role. Could help the rookie. “This might actually help some of the demands put on him right away.” Confident both players can be worked into the scheme.

– “No relinquishing personnel control” from the Packers’ side. More about communication between team and Rodgers.

– Said the Packers did communicate with Corey Linsley before he left Green Bay in free agency.

– Once again, he mentioned “both sides” needing to work together for it to work.

– Chased free agents like De’Vondre Campbell and Dennis Kelly but the team didn’t have enough money early on in the process. Money changed and their markets changed.

– Expecting to address Rodgers’ contract to create more cap space in 2021. He needs to kick money out on his deal to get through the season.

– The Packers and Davante Adams have an issue with acknowledging what would make him the highest-paid receiver in the NFL. “We would like to figure something out.”

– Gutekunst punted on answering a question on Rodgers asking for a trade.

– The Packers are comfortable with three quarterbacks on the roster.

– Gutekunst on mending the personal relationship with Rodgers: “It’s going to take two parties that are willing, but it’s important.”

– Why was he confident on Rodgers returning? “The pull of what we could accomplish as a football team was strong enough to get him here.”

– Gutekunst said Rodgers has three years left on his contract “at the moment” but he doesn’t feel like he’s a lame-duck quarterback.

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Aaron Rodgers considered retirement before returning to Packers

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers admitted he pondered the idea of retirement during a chaotic offseason but the “fire still burns.”

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: a future Hall of Fame quarterback for the Green Bay Packers has considered retirement.

No, this isn’t about Brett Favre, who waffled on playing or retiring for the better part of a decade. His successor, Aaron Rodgers, admitted Wednesday that he pondered the idea of retirement during his chaotic offseason.

“I was really working on myself, my own mental state throughout the summer and, at various points, deciding if I wanted to keep playing. But the fire still burns. And I wanted to be on the football team,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers, who didn’t participate during the offseason workout program while working through several different issues with the organization, said he enjoyed getting away from the game and taking time off this summer.

“It was definitely something I thought about,” Rodgers said of retirement. “But there is still a big competitive hole in my body that I need to fill.”

Rodgers, who turns 37 in December, said his body responded well to his regular offseason workouts in California leading up to training camp, giving him the confidence he could still play at a high level coming off an MVP season

“I just realized, I know I can still play, and I want to still play, and as long as I can give 100 percent to the team, that I should still play,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers threw 48 touchdowns passes and only five interceptions last season. He led the NFL in completion percentage and passer rating and was a first-team All-Pro and the near-consensus MVP.

He said he talked with several former teammates about everything that goes into retiring from football before eventually determining he wanted to keep playing.

“I definitely took my mind to that scenario and sat with those feelings, and what it would feel like, what that would look like,” Rodgers said. “There were things I needed to do and conversations I needed to have to put myself in the right headspace to come back here and be 100 percent in, which my teammates, the organization expect, and I expect of myself. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t 100 percent all-in.”

Rodgers, a first-round pick in 2005, will play his 17th NFL season in 2021. He has been the starting quarterback in Green Bay since 2008.

Once his revised contract is finalized, Rodgers will have two years left on his deal. The Packers have agreed to revisit his situation in Green Bay after the season.

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Packers expected to sign veteran offensive tackle Dennis Kelly

The Packers are adding veteran OT Dennis Kelly, who started all 16 games at right tackle for the Titans last season.

Randall Cobb won’t be the only veteran addition made by the Green Bay Packers early in training camp.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Packers are expected to sign veteran offensive tackle Dennis Kelly, who started all 16 games at right tackle for the Tennessee Titans last season.

In Kelly, the Packers will be getting veteran depth at an important position, and a potential starter at right tackle while David Bakhtiari – who started training camp on the PUP list – recovers from an ACL injury.

Kelly allowed zero sacks and 26 pressures and committed just two penalties while playing over 1,000 snaps with the Titans in 2020. He also played for Packers coach Matt LaFleur while in Tennessee during the 2018 season.

A fifth-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012, Kelly played in 30 games (15 starts) over four seasons in Philadelphia (2012-15) before playing in 74 games (32 starts) over the last five seasons in Tennessee.

The Packers could see Kelly as a replacement for Rick Wagner, who played a lot of snaps at right tackle for the offensive line as an injury replacement in 2020. The team released Wagner in February.

The Packers now have several options for configuring the offensive line at offensive tackle, even with Bakhtiari out. Elgton Jenkins and Billy Turner can play either side of the line. Kelly has played the majority of his NFL snaps at right tackle or guard, but he does have experience on the left side.

Kelly turned 31 years old in January. He has played 3,382 total offensive snaps over his NFL career.

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Packers trading sixth-round pick for Texans WR Randall Cobb

Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are getting WR Randall Cobb for a sixth-round pick, and the Texans are going to pay part of Cobb’s salary in 2021.

Aaron Rodgers is getting one of his best friends back in Green Bay.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Packers agreed to send a sixth-round pick to the Houston Texans for receiver Randall Cobb, who returns to Green Bay after spending the last two seasons in Texas.

To complete the deal and make it work for the Packers, the Texans agreed to pay $3 million of Cobb’s salary in 2021.

Cobb, a second-round pick of the Packers in 2011, played his first eight NFL seasons with Rodgers in Green Bay. Over the last 10 years, he’s been one of the league’s most dangerous and productive slot receivers.

Cobb turns 31 in August. After departing as a free agent in 2018, Cobb caught 93 passes for 1,269 yards and six touchdowns over 25 games with the Texans (2020) and Dallas Cowboys (2019).

In Green Bay, Cobb will join a receiving crew that includes Davante Adams, Allen Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, rookie Amari Rodgers and Devin Funchess.

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Davante Adams frustrated over contract talks with Packers

Davante Adams said contract negotiations with the Packers are in a “pretty tough spot” as training camp begins.

All-Pro receiver Davante Adams is frustrated with the pace and progress of contract negotiations with the Green Bay Packers.

Adams said discussions are in a “tough spot” as training camp kicked off on Wednesday.

“We had a lot of time to figure this out, and we weren’t able to make a lot of progress, sadly,” Adams said. “It’s tough, man. The way that this league goes, if you perform well, you’re supposed to be compensated properly for that.”

Adams said he wished the negotiations with the Packers would be simpler, especially after all he’s accomplished in his career and off the field.

“Now we’re in a pretty tough spot,” Adams said. “It’s time to play football. We’ve had since January to figure this whole thing out. Here we are approaching August without a whole lot of progress as far as both sides feeling good about the other feels.”

Adams, who was a first-team All-Pro and led the NFL in touchdown catches in 2020, wants to become the league’s highest-paid receiver, regardless of whether Aaron Rodgers stays past the 2021 season.

“I’ve earned the right to be paid highest in the league. If they don’t believe that, or don’t want to come to an agreement to make me feel good about my contract. I just don’t want to make this about me too much,” Adams said.

The current highest-paid receiver is DeAndre Hopkins, who signed a two-year extension worth $27.25 million per year in new money with the Arizona Cardinals.

Adams said he was under the impression that the deal would get done this offseason.

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