It’s a feline finale for the NFC’s top seeded Green Bay Packers. The team even closed ranks to begin on-field preparations for the Detroit Lions, the last regular season opponent before a third straight playoff run for Matt LaFleur’s Pack.
With snow falling all day in Titletown, the Packers decided to conduct practice inside the Don Hutson Center and under new NFL protocols with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus still running rampant, a limited number of team personnel and no Tier 2M media were allowed to observe. That will be the case the rest of the week.
Team video released after the workout offered encouraging views of two offensive linemen at least taking part in individual drills. David Bakhtiari was back in uniform for the first time since needing a scope on the same knee that needed serious fixing a calendar year ago. Rookie center Josh Myers was also working, indicating the team has designated him to return from injured reserve and the clock is now ticking to get him back on the active roster after suffering both finger and knee injuries this year.
After getting back on the 53 two weeks ago, Jaire Alexander’s return is on temporary hold as he remains on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. His absence will complicate any decision about getting him live reps in Detroit before the playoffs begin.
Speaking of the virus, four plays came off the reserve list, a pair had just tested positive on Sunday. Darnell Savage and Dennis Kelly had short stays on the list while Amari Rodgers and Kingsley Keke were also brought back to the active roster. Kicker J.J. Molson and linebacker Ray Wilborn came off and were put back on the practice squad.
Keke is still sick but it’s not COVID related and he along with Aaron Rodgers were the only two non-participants at practice today. Listed as limited participants were Bakhtiari, De’Vondre Campbell with an elbow injury, Dominique Dafney with a sore ankle and Aaron Jones with a sore knee.
LaFleur said his special teams coordinator, Maurice Drayton and a “couple” of football staff members have also tested positive.
LaFleur also spent time explaining his reasoning behind having star players suit up and take snaps in Sunday’s game that won’t impact their playoff standing. He said the team has studied how past teams around the league handled the situation with similar circumstances. They even it broke down by a percentage of game snaps for key players and how that translated to performance the following week in wild card games or through a first round bye. That was measured against players who did not play and essentially returned in three weeks.
LaFleur said in his mind there is no such thing as a meaningless game, “Our mindset is we’re going to Detroit to win a football game”, he said.
The race for the 2021 NFL MVP took a back seat to the comments from an MVP voter Tuesday night and the reigning MVP delivered his reply today.
The longtime publisher and editor of the now defunct, Pro Football Weekly newspaper, Hub Arkush appeared on a Chicago radio station Tuesday night and explained in great detail not who he will be casting his ballot for, rather why he won’t be voting for the Packers quarterback. Arkush still does free lance work primarily covering the Chicago Bears and even makes appearances on the Green Bay Packers Radio Network pre-game shows (I don’t think for much longer.). He is however, also one of 50 members of the media that comprise the Associated Press electorate which not only decides who the MVP is, but NFL Coach, Rookie, Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year and the coveted All-Pro team.
When asked about the possibility of Rodgers repeating as the league’s MVP and winning for the 4th time in his career, Arkush explained if it happens, he won’t be a part of it.
“I don’t think you can be the biggest jerk in the league and punish your team and your organization and your fan base the way he did and be the MVP”, Arkush said, “I think he’s a bad guy and I don’ think a bad guy can be the MVP at the same time.”
Arkush referred to the contentious off-season where Rodgers did not take part in any off-season work. He believed that held the entire Packer organization and fan base hostage and ruined their off-season. He also referenced the week Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19 and it came to light he was unvaccinated. What if that game cost Green Bay the number one seed ?, he surmised. Arkush argued there are no rules that don’t allow off-field incidents or stories to affect the on-field accomplishments tied to the award and while he’s bound not to disclose his vote before it’s announced, he can voice his reasons why he’s not going to vote for someone.
The comments were met with an onslaught of reaction, almost all of it negative over the past 18 hours.
After practice today, Rodgers was asked for his response to being called a “jerk” and he picked up his own handful of mud.
Arkush has since acknowledged he made a mistake and said “he’ll own it”, but now the debate will continue about the integrity of the voting process for the NFL’s most prestigious awards. If a personal bias is that evident with even one voter, the Associated Press has a problem it must deal with.
Regardless of the uproar, Rodgers remains the odds on favorite to win the MVP, at least with a majority of the other 49 votes.
