Tag: Greg Jennings

How did ‘First Things First’ respond to the Chase Young trade?

Some national reactions to the Commanders trading Chase Young.

Of course, Commanders and 49ers fans reacted to the Chase Young trade, but how about neutral sports media shows?

“First Things First” had a segment discussing the trade, where the cast quickly gave their responses.

Greg Jennings: “When you pay Nick Bosa all this money, you expect his production to be through the roof. You want him to be that defensive player of the year you signed up for years. So, you add another guy and give them depth along that defensive line. You expect Chase Young to come in with a chip on his shoulder, wanting to prove himself worthy of a long-term contract. This is a big pickup for the 49ers.”

Chris Broussard: “Great move. I mean, Nick Bosa has been great but not great this year. He’s gotten some QB hits and stuff, but sack-wise, he’s on pace for the lowest of his career. I think he has 2.5 at this point of the season. Chase Young has twice as many as Bosa has. For all of this talk about Brock Purdy, the defense hasn’t played well lately. So, if you strengthen the defense, you think the offense will follow. So, absolutely a great move.”

Nick Wright: “They are giving up what is going to be about the 100th pick of the draft for what might be only nine games of Chase Young. That’s assuming he is healthy. Health has been the biggest concern, but this year, he has been healthy. Listen, when you are so limited at quarterback, these are the things you have to do to be able to win the Super Bowl. Guys, it’s true, it’s true. They think they can win the Super Bowl this year.”

Kevin Wilds: “Not feeling great about my ‘Commanders to the playoffs’ pick. I’m going to have to redo this.”

15 days until Vikings season opener: Every player to wear No. 15

Currently worn by wide reciever Lucky Jackson, 10 players have worn the number 15 for the Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings will kick off their 2023 regular season in 15 days at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 10.

From now until then, we will take a trip down memory lane and count each day by revisiting the players who have worn that specific jersey number.

Wide receiver Lucky Jackson currently wears the No. 15 for the Minnesota Vikings with Greg Jennings having worn the number recently.

With 15 days until kickoff, here’s a look at every player to wear No. 15 in a regular season game with the Vikings (via Pro Football Reference):

Evan Engram explains the key to racking up yards after catch

Travis Kelce was the only NFL tight end who had more yards after catch in 2022 than Evan Engram.

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram led the team in yards after catch during the 2022 season with 465 — more than half of the 766 receiving yards he recorded on the season. Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs was the only tight end in the NFL to record more YAC.

Engram’s success after the catch is no accident.

In an interview with former NFL receiver Greg Jennings of The 33rd Team, Engram said that he has spent a lot of time focusing on the details necessary to be dangerous after the catch.

“The more I honed in on the yards after catch aspect of the game, there are so many details that go into YAC,” Engram told Jennings. “Every movement counts. Every step you take on the football field, it counts.

“Guys that jump when the football comes — I do that sometimes — when the ball’s thrown to me, I do a little hop. It’s just a habit, it’s just a comfort thing of catching the football. But when I do that, it’s slowing me down from catching the ball, my feet being down and getting upfield and maximizing the play and maximizing the yardage.”

Engram, who is expected to receive the franchise tag from the Jaguars, said that he still has a lot of strides to make in those little details.

“Just continuing to hone in on the craft of catching the football,” Engram said of the improvements he hopes to make. “Catching the football, continuing to catch it more confident, running through the football full speed, extending my hands and not letting it get to my body, eyes on the ball. All the little details that go into catching the football, it leads to so many other things that prevail you to be a great player.”

Engram, 28, had a reputation for drops after catching 61.1 percent of his targets in five seasons with the New York Giants. In his first season in Jacksonville, Engram caught a career-high 74.5 percent of his targets.

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Greg Jennings tore into former teammate Aaron Rodgers for trashing current Packers players in public

Jennings wasn’t happy to see Rodgers air out his dirty laundry.

Aaron Rodgers is currently stuck in one of the bigger, more frustrating tailspins of his Packers career. Green Bay has lost three consecutive games and, in the process, somehow looked progressively worse on each occasion. At the same time, Rodgers is seemingly stuck in an individual rut that he can’t climb out of.

To explain the Packers’ current predicaments, Rodgers appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, where he pointed the brunt of the blame at his teammates but, notably and curiously — not himself.

Greg Jennings, who played with Rodgers from 2006-2012, took issue with the quarterback deciding to lambast his teammates publicly. Judging by Jennings’ stance, Rodgers crossed a line:

It’s hard to disagree with Jennings’ point.

Even if Rodgers’ comments have a degree of truth to them (and I’m not saying they do), it can’t be healthy for the Packers’ roster when they’re getting ripped apart, in public, by the face of the franchise. If Rodgers has notes or “critiques” for his teammates — those should be shared behind closed doors out of respect.

Plus, when Rodgers will seemingly do everything to find fault in everyone else but himself, his criticisms ring a bit hollow. Jennings is correct, and it’s time for Rodgers to look in the mirror.

Greg Jennings believes in the Minnesota Vikings

Former Vikings WR believes in the purple and gold

Back in 2013, Greg Jennings left the Green Bay Packers via free agency in search of his next home.

That March, Jennings signed a five-year, $45 million contract to play in Minnesota. It was the beginning of the end for Leslie Frazier’s tenure. Jennings caught 127 passes for 1,546 yards and 10 touchdowns during his two seasons with the Vikings.

Having been recently hired by The 33rd Team, Jennings was tasked with predicting the NFC North. His prediction is one that Vikings fans hope come true.

“This team is prepped, primed and ready to compete against the Green Bay Packers. The Minnesota Vikings are a team that the Green Bay Packers have shown that they struggle with. This team in purple does not fear Aaron Rodgers and supporting cast.”

With a new regime in place, the Vikings just might be in prime position to take over the NFC North.

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Greg Jennings unsure Mac Jones can overcome what Tom Brady overcame

Greg Jennings wonders if Mac Jones can overcome what Tom Brady overcame.

Mac Jones has the weight of the world on his shoulders the same way Tom Brady did when he was the quarterback for the New England Patriots.

Little has changed in New England since Brady left the team he won six Super Bowls with for warmth, sunshine and better offensive players in Tampa Bay.

The offensive line hasn’t been consistent for the Patriots, and the receiving corps is underwhelming. However, Brady found ways to make it work because he was the greatest quarterback to ever play the position. Is it really fair to expect the same of Jones, a 23-year-old quarterback playing in his second season?

Former NFL wideout and FOX Sports analyst Greg Jennings doesn’t think so.

“You look at the Patriots and you look at their quarterback situation, even dating back to Tom Brady,” Jennings said, during an appearance on First Things First. “What have we always said? Will they give him some help? Tom Brady was asking for more help. And the help that you bring in is DeVante Parker, who’s played a handful of games where he’s been healthy.

“So I just don’t know if Mac Jones can be that great to overcome as much as what Tom Brady had to overcome with the lack of skill guys and the lack of protection that is happening right now up front.”

If the offensive line can tighten things up, it would go a long way in Jones making it work.

The Patriots still have arguably the most dynamic running backs room in the league, and while there isn’t an elite receiver on the roster, the group certainly has more promise this season with guys like Parker and speedy rookie Tyquan Thornton.

There’s still time for Jones and the Patriots to figure it out.

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Former Vikings WR Greg Jennings calls Aaron Rodgers selfish

Jennings unleashes on Rodgers

Former Minnesota Vikings receiver Greg Jennings didn’t shy away from calling out his former teammate, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, during an appearance on FOX Sports’ First Things First on Friday.

ESPN’s Dianna Russini turned heads when reporting Rodgers wanted to be the highest paid player in the NFL. Per Russini, the back-to-back league MVP is seeking around $50 million per season.

Yikes!

“Aaron Rodgers has been a very selfish guy,” said Jennings, when talking about the contract report. “I get it, he’s at the end of his career, and so it’s like, ‘Okay, I’m going to take whatever I can take.’ But you can’t do that and want to win. How are you going to try to win? I get it, guys got to look out for themselves. But in looking out for yourself, you cut out the legs of others. And understanding at this position, at the quarterback position, you cut out more than just a pair of legs. You cut out a few pairs of legs. For me, this is contradicted to what he’s saying he wants to do.”

It’s important to note that Pat McAfee called the reports on Rodgers wanting $50 million per year as “categorically false” on the Pat McAfee Show, when reciting a text conversation he had with the Packers quarterback.

Jennings played with the rival Packers for seven seasons before joining the Vikings in 2013.

During the segment, he talked about a personal incident with Rodgers when it came time to sign his rookie extension. According to Jennings, other players on the team at the time were frustrated with their contracts and trying to renegotiate their deals.

That’s when Rodgers allegedly approached Jennings and said, “Don’t be that guy.”

Rodgers turns 39 years old this coming season, and although he hasn’t shown any considerable drop-off as an elite quarterback, the Packers have constantly failed to get over the Super Bowl hump.

Of course, that’s good news for a Vikings team hoping to hop off the struggle-bus and change the narrative with a completely new head coach and general manager. As long as Rodgers keeps failing to win the big one, they’re fine with him asking for all of the money he wants.

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Packers to induct Greg Jennings, Tim Harris into team’s Hall of Fame

The Packers will induct WR Greg Jennings and edge rusher Tim Harris into the team’s Hall of Fame next September.

The Green Bay Packers will induct wide receiver Greg Jennings and edge rusher Tim Harris into the team’s Hall of Fame next September.

Jennings, a two-time Pro Bowler in Green Bay, caught 425 passes for 6,537 yards and 53 touchdowns over 96 games with the Packers. He added six touchdown catches during the postseason, including a pair of scores in Green Bay’s 31-25 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. Jennings left the Packers ranked in the top 10 in team history in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

Harris produced 55 sacks and six fumble recoveries over 70 career games with the Packers. He ranks fourth in team history in sacks, and he holds the team record for sacks in a single season with 19.5 in 1989. Between 1988 and 1989, Harris led the NFL with 33.0 total sacks.

The banquet is scheduled for Sept. 1, 2022, inside Lambeau Field.

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How former Steelers S Ryan Clark got punked by Aaron Rodgers in 2010 Super Bowl

Clark and Rodgers recall Super Bowl XLV touchdown to Greg Jennings a little differently.

You probably know this, but former Colts kicker Pat McAfee has a wildly entertaining show, aptly titled The Pat McAfee Show.

On Wednesday, McAfee was joined by former Steelers safety Ryan Clark, and later by Green Bay Packers quarterback. McAfee, being McAfee, asked both of them to recall the Greg Jennings touchdown from the 2010 Super Bowl.

Of course, their versions are as McAfee put it, “slightly different.”

“Two weeks. You’re going to the Super Bowl, you get two weeks [to prepare],” said Clark. “I planned this interception.”

“I had told my kids we were going to Disney World because I was going to pick this ball off, and I was going to score a touchdown,” he said. “I was going to be the MVP — they never wanted to give it to Ben [Roethlisberger] anyway.”

“I see the play… I lock Ike [Taylor]. I know Aaron is never going to look at me. I was like, This is it. Boom, play starts. I take off. I look, He’s going to throw this mickey fickey. It’s a wrap.”

“He throws it. I know he didn’t see me. He throws it this far over my finger. I dive for it, miss it. Right in front of Troy [Polamalu]. Touchdown.”

The ball grazed Clark’s fingertips on its way to Jennings, ready near the goal line. The 2nd quarter 21-yard touchdown put the Packers ahead by 18 points.

“Next series, we’re doing kind of well,” said Clark. “They call a time out… Rodgers goes, ‘Hey 2-5’ and tsssst (indicating with fingers how close Clark was to a pick). I was so mad.”

Screenshot courtesy of NFL YouTube channel (click on image to watch full game of Steelers-Packers 2010 Super Bowl)

Rodgers tells the story from his perspective in a much more tranquil tone — which, when you’re MVP of said Super Bowl, you can do — then suggests with a grin that Clark ‘Let it go.’

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Vikings vs. Packers Week 1 broadcast information

Former Vikings wide receiver Greg Jennings will be on the call.

Nothing like starting the season off with a rivalry game.

The Vikings host the Packers to open the season at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 13.

The game will be played without fans.

Kickoff is set for noon CT.

The game will air on FOX. Chris Myers, Jen Hale, Brock Huard and former Vikings wide receiver Greg Jennings will be on the call.

For those listening locally, you can tune into 100.3 KFAN-FM. Paul Allen, Pete Bercich, Greg Coleman and Ben Leber will be on the call.

This is one of two matchups between the two teams this season. The Packers will host the Vikings at noon CT on Nov. 1.