Chances are the Green Bay Packers will lose their Pro Bowl Aaron Jones to free agency in March. The two sides didn’t manage to agree to terms about a new deal so far and are probably heading towards a breakup.

While Packers’ fans will be rightfully furious to lose such an important player, the front office did try to keep the 26-year-old running back at Lambeau Field.

According to Rob Demovsky’s recent piece for ESPN, Jones rejected an offer that would make him one of the top five highest-paid RBs in the league earlier this season.

Reportedly, Jones didn’t have an issue with the average salary but thought that the offer wasn’t good in terms of guaranteed money. Green Bay, on the other hand, decided to stick with their original proposal, and talks fell through.

As Demovsky points out, the Packers are in a tight spot salary cap-wise and have several other free agents they need to take care of. This is why making an improved offer for Jones seems highly unlikely.

Aaron Jones had a breakthrough season with Green Bay in 2019, having league-leading 16 touchdowns. He also contributed with 1,084 rushing yards and career-high 49 catches for 474 receiving yards and three scores.

This season, Jones stepped up his game even more. He had a weaker workload but managed to get the best of it and rush for 1,104 yards in 201 attempts.

The post Aaron Jones Turned Down a Big Offer from Green Bay Earlier in the Season appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback Tom Brady will have one less weapon to rely on in the upcoming NFC Championship game against Green Bay Packers.

According to Bucs’ head coach Bruce Arians, veteran wideout Antonio Brown failed to recover enough from his knee injury and is ruled out for Sunday.

Brown got injured in last week’s win over New Orleans Saints, being limited to just 27 snaps. The Bucs’ were initially optimistic about his return, but after the 32-year-old player failed to practice the entire week, Arians decided not to take any risks.

“We wish he could be out there with us,” said Brady. “Other guys are gonna have to step up and do the job. I’ve got a lot of confidence in the guys that haven’t been out there as much when AB’s been in there.”

Antonio Brown was Tampa Bay’s No.3 receiver behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin this season, so his absence might not be such a big deal for the Buccaneers. Also, second-year player Scotty Miller and rookie Tyler Johnson have shown up in recent games, and Arians seem convinced they could step up to the task.

After being out of the league for more than a year, Brown signed with the Buccaneers in October. He played in the team’s final eight games of the regular season, contributing with 45 receptions for 483 yards and four touchdowns.

In two postseason games for the Bucs, Brown had three catches for 59 yards and one score.

The post Bucs’ WR Antonio Brown Out for NFC Championship Game vs. Packers appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

It appears that even the tough weather conditions can’t slow down Green Bay Packers’ superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers this year. Despite playing on snow-covered and windy Lambeau Field on Sunday night, Rodgers still managed to throw four touchdowns and lead his team to a blowout 40-14 win over the Tennessee Titans.

Rodgers sliced through Titans’ defense in the first half, leading the Packers to three scores in their first three possessions and connecting with his favorite wideout Davante Adams twice.

It was more of the same in the second half, as Rodgers once again found Adams to get his sixth game with four touchdowns in 2020.

Rodgers then took a back seat and gave the spotlight to Packers’ defense and rookie running back AJ Dillon.

After scoring in their first possession of the third quarter, the Titans failed to put a single point on the board for the rest of the half. Green Bay was great in coverage, with Christian Kirksey intercepting QB Ryan Tannehill while also stopping Tennessee from advancing the ball on the ground.

Dillon, on the other hand, had a great game that saw him run for 124 yards and two TDs, both in the second half. He had just 115 yards and no scores for the season before this game.

Aaron Rodgers, who is now considered the top favorite for this year’s NFL MVP award, finished the game completing 21 out of 25 pass attempts and throwing for 253 yards and four touchdowns. He now has 4,059 passing yards to go with 44 TDs and only five interceptions for the season.

Davante Adams had 11 catches for 142 yards and three touchdowns, which game him 17 scores for the season. He is now just one shy from tying for Packers’ record.    

The post Aaron Rodgers Throws 4 TDs in a 40-14 Blowout win Against Titans appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

It needed 12 weeks, but Green Bay Packers have finally got themselves another wide receiver. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Packers have signed former LA Rams wideout Tavon Austin.

Austin started the 2020 NFL season with the San Francisco 49ers but failed to play a single game with the franchise. He was first placed on Injured Reserve in early September before being released on October 27. 

Reportedly, the Packers were intrigued with Austin’s versatility, while his familiarity with head coach Matt LaFleur also played a part in his arrival to Green Bay. The 29-year-old player should improve the depth on WR position for the Super Bowl contenders, but is also expected to take snaps as a kick and punt returner.

Tavon Austin entered the league as the Rams’ No.8 pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. During his five years with the organization, he saw action as WR, runner, and returner, racking up 4,295 all-purpose yards.

Following the 2017 season, the Rams decided to trade Austin to Dallas Cowboys in return for a sixth-round pick. Dallas tried to use him in the same way Rams did, but Austin failed to replicate the same production and left the franchise at the end of the 2019 campaign.

As a wideout, Austin has 215 career receptions for 2,006 yards and 15 touchdowns. 

The post Packers Sign Ex-Rams Wideout Tavon Austin appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

Detroit Lions’ fans won’t be happy to hear this, but one of team’s biggest legends, wideout Calvin Johnson, wished he could’ve played for their bitter divisional rivals Green Bay Packers.

Johnson revealed this during a recent appearance on Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes’ All The Smoke podcast.

Asked about the one quarterback he wished he could play with, Johnson immediately opted for Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers. The six-time Pro Bowler even admitted that he told Rodgers this multiple times during Lions vs. Packers games. 

“Whenever we played Green Bay, whenever Aaron Rodgers was over on our sideline he would say, ‘Hey man, you need to come on over here.’ And I said, ‘I wish I could,'” shared Johnson.

You can watch Johnson’s appearance on All The Smoke in full below.

Calvin Johnson played nine seasons in NFL and spent all of them with Detroit Lions, who took him No. 2 in the 2007 draft. During his time in the league, Johnson was considered one of the best and frequently the best wide receiver in the game.

Johnson still holds NFL records for most receiving yards in a season with 1,964 and most consecutive 100-yard receiving games with eight. He retired with 731 career receptions for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns.

The post Lions’ Legend Calvin Johnson Says He Wished He Could Have Played for Packers appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

Chances are the Green Bay Packers will lose their Pro Bowl Aaron Jones to free agency in March. The two sides didn’t manage to agree to terms about a new deal so far and are probably heading towards a breakup.

While Packers’ fans will be rightfully furious to lose such an important player, the front office did try to keep the 26-year-old running back at Lambeau Field.

According to Rob Demovsky’s recent piece for ESPN, Jones rejected an offer that would make him one of the top five highest-paid RBs in the league earlier this season.

Reportedly, Jones didn’t have an issue with the average salary but thought that the offer wasn’t good in terms of guaranteed money. Green Bay, on the other hand, decided to stick with their original proposal, and talks fell through.

As Demovsky points out, the Packers are in a tight spot salary cap-wise and have several other free agents they need to take care of. This is why making an improved offer for Jones seems highly unlikely.

Aaron Jones had a breakthrough season with Green Bay in 2019, having league-leading 16 touchdowns. He also contributed with 1,084 rushing yards and career-high 49 catches for 474 receiving yards and three scores.

This season, Jones stepped up his game even more. He had a weaker workload but managed to get the best of it and rush for 1,104 yards in 201 attempts.

The post Aaron Jones Turned Down a Big Offer from Green Bay Earlier in the Season appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback Tom Brady will have one less weapon to rely on in the upcoming NFC Championship game against Green Bay Packers.

According to Bucs’ head coach Bruce Arians, veteran wideout Antonio Brown failed to recover enough from his knee injury and is ruled out for Sunday.

Brown got injured in last week’s win over New Orleans Saints, being limited to just 27 snaps. The Bucs’ were initially optimistic about his return, but after the 32-year-old player failed to practice the entire week, Arians decided not to take any risks.

“We wish he could be out there with us,” said Brady. “Other guys are gonna have to step up and do the job. I’ve got a lot of confidence in the guys that haven’t been out there as much when AB’s been in there.”

Antonio Brown was Tampa Bay’s No.3 receiver behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin this season, so his absence might not be such a big deal for the Buccaneers. Also, second-year player Scotty Miller and rookie Tyler Johnson have shown up in recent games, and Arians seem convinced they could step up to the task.

After being out of the league for more than a year, Brown signed with the Buccaneers in October. He played in the team’s final eight games of the regular season, contributing with 45 receptions for 483 yards and four touchdowns.

In two postseason games for the Bucs, Brown had three catches for 59 yards and one score.

The post Bucs’ WR Antonio Brown Out for NFC Championship Game vs. Packers appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

It appears that even the tough weather conditions can’t slow down Green Bay Packers’ superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers this year. Despite playing on snow-covered and windy Lambeau Field on Sunday night, Rodgers still managed to throw four touchdowns and lead his team to a blowout 40-14 win over the Tennessee Titans.

Rodgers sliced through Titans’ defense in the first half, leading the Packers to three scores in their first three possessions and connecting with his favorite wideout Davante Adams twice.

It was more of the same in the second half, as Rodgers once again found Adams to get his sixth game with four touchdowns in 2020.

Rodgers then took a back seat and gave the spotlight to Packers’ defense and rookie running back AJ Dillon.

After scoring in their first possession of the third quarter, the Titans failed to put a single point on the board for the rest of the half. Green Bay was great in coverage, with Christian Kirksey intercepting QB Ryan Tannehill while also stopping Tennessee from advancing the ball on the ground.

Dillon, on the other hand, had a great game that saw him run for 124 yards and two TDs, both in the second half. He had just 115 yards and no scores for the season before this game.

Aaron Rodgers, who is now considered the top favorite for this year’s NFL MVP award, finished the game completing 21 out of 25 pass attempts and throwing for 253 yards and four touchdowns. He now has 4,059 passing yards to go with 44 TDs and only five interceptions for the season.

Davante Adams had 11 catches for 142 yards and three touchdowns, which game him 17 scores for the season. He is now just one shy from tying for Packers’ record.    

The post Aaron Rodgers Throws 4 TDs in a 40-14 Blowout win Against Titans appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

It needed 12 weeks, but Green Bay Packers have finally got themselves another wide receiver. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Packers have signed former LA Rams wideout Tavon Austin.

Austin started the 2020 NFL season with the San Francisco 49ers but failed to play a single game with the franchise. He was first placed on Injured Reserve in early September before being released on October 27. 

Reportedly, the Packers were intrigued with Austin’s versatility, while his familiarity with head coach Matt LaFleur also played a part in his arrival to Green Bay. The 29-year-old player should improve the depth on WR position for the Super Bowl contenders, but is also expected to take snaps as a kick and punt returner.

Tavon Austin entered the league as the Rams’ No.8 pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. During his five years with the organization, he saw action as WR, runner, and returner, racking up 4,295 all-purpose yards.

Following the 2017 season, the Rams decided to trade Austin to Dallas Cowboys in return for a sixth-round pick. Dallas tried to use him in the same way Rams did, but Austin failed to replicate the same production and left the franchise at the end of the 2019 campaign.

As a wideout, Austin has 215 career receptions for 2,006 yards and 15 touchdowns. 

The post Packers Sign Ex-Rams Wideout Tavon Austin appeared first on toppoptoday.com.

Detroit Lions’ fans won’t be happy to hear this, but one of team’s biggest legends, wideout Calvin Johnson, wished he could’ve played for their bitter divisional rivals Green Bay Packers.

Johnson revealed this during a recent appearance on Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes’ All The Smoke podcast.

Asked about the one quarterback he wished he could play with, Johnson immediately opted for Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers. The six-time Pro Bowler even admitted that he told Rodgers this multiple times during Lions vs. Packers games. 

“Whenever we played Green Bay, whenever Aaron Rodgers was over on our sideline he would say, ‘Hey man, you need to come on over here.’ And I said, ‘I wish I could,'” shared Johnson.

You can watch Johnson’s appearance on All The Smoke in full below.

Calvin Johnson played nine seasons in NFL and spent all of them with Detroit Lions, who took him No. 2 in the 2007 draft. During his time in the league, Johnson was considered one of the best and frequently the best wide receiver in the game.

Johnson still holds NFL records for most receiving yards in a season with 1,964 and most consecutive 100-yard receiving games with eight. He retired with 731 career receptions for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns.

The post Lions’ Legend Calvin Johnson Says He Wished He Could Have Played for Packers appeared first on toppoptoday.com.