Contracts for NFL quarterbacks do not exist in a vacuum. So, when Saints QB Drew Brees earned a new deal, my mind immediately turned to a colleague. When will Packers QB Aaron Rodgers get similarly paid? “That stuff takes care of itself,” Rodgers told me yesterday. “I still have a few years left on my deal, and we’ll talk about that when we get there.” Perhaps. Or earlier. We’ll see. There are a lot of issues, and I tried to hit on many of them here. But Rodgers didn’t take a wait-and-see approach when discussing Brees’ deal. “You got to say he’s a fortunate man,” Rodgers told NFL.com. “I don’t think he’s complaining right now.“  No, I’d say not. One other […]

Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has kept a low-profile this week in South Lake Tahoe. Well, as low a profile as a Super Bowl-winning QB can keep. But before heading out to play nine holes (and carry his own bag), Rodgers stopped to chat with me and our cameras. You’ll see some of this interview on NFL Network’s NFL Total Access tonight and on NFL.com tomorrow. But there’s always a little more. The Packers ended their season in the playoffs last year with an ugly loss to the Giants. Rodgers was ready to turn the page. “It’s a new team, it’s a new players, rookies, new coaches, it’s a different feel,” Rodgers told me earlier today. “So we’re going […]

While a variety of NFL players spend the week out here in gorgeous Lake Tahoe, they know that when they leave here, it all begins. Training camp is around the corner and it gets amped up incredibly soon. That’s why they cherish being here. They play golf, they bring their families, they chill out… and if they are smart, they clear their heads. “You got to get away because you know you’re going to go through the grind,” ex-Major League pitcher David Wells said. “You just want to try to put everything aside and then come out and golf. If they’re smart, they’re not even thinking any football, just relaxing. It’s a grind. You need something to mellow you out, […]

In any event, NFL players made a big splash during the ESPY awards and here’s a look at the NFL winners.

Steve Nash is going to play for the Los Angeles Lakers this season after a blockbuster deal this week. Nash’s trade to the Los Angeles Lakers comes months after Peyton Manning signed a deal with the Denver Broncos. But Nash’s deal is much more striking considering nobody ever thought they would see a day when Nash was a teammate with Kobe Bryant on the Los Angeles Lakers.

So with that in mind, we turned to Twitter on #talkaboutit Friday and asked you to select one NFL legend and a “no way” team for him to finish with, similar to Nash and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald was voted as the seventh-best player of 2012 on NFL Network’s “The Top 100: Players of 2012,” but he’s still not fully satisfied.

Hakeem Nicks could be ready for the start of the season, but he still comes with some risk as a WR1.

Happy Monday everybody. What a weekend we just had. “The Avengers” set all sorts of records, and will even get this DC-loving comic enthusiast to see a Marvel movie. Albert Pujols hit his first home run of the season. The Los Angeles Kings swept the Blues (we’re waiting for St. Louis to honor its obligation in a civic bet to send over its football team). And we got our first glimpse of some of the newest NFL stars. There is so much going on, let’s take a look at some of the top fantasy storylines.

Despite the comments of Eagles coach Andy Reid, LeSean McCoy remains a top-four pick in 2012 fantasy drafts.

More time to kill, more time to kill… Well, this is getting closer. And as the kickoff clock to the NFL Draft ticks and ticks away, the focus is coming clearer. Yeah, this could be a crazy night. The rookie wage scale and some differing opinions on the strength of this class will lead to a slightly wacky experience. As you might expect, I have some predictions… Here are five things that could, maybe, possible, probably happen: 1. The Dolphins will take QB Ryan Tannehill – This has been smokescreen central. Loved it when personnel guys with the Jaguars publicly said everyone knew the Dolphins were picking the Texas A&M QB. Um, not quite. Even Tannehill hasn’t been told the Dolphins […]

Coming soon to a 40-inch LED screen near you, some of your favorite NFL players, extending their brands to the silver screen. Not all of it is pretty, some of it is downright awkward, but most of it is entertaining and worth a look.

Chargers coach Norv Turner says he expects Ryan Mathews to have a breakout season. Super, well then give him the ball in the red zone.

The inaugural NFL Honors gala offered a generous dose of memorable moments. The Tim Tebow/Katy Perry encounter is in the books, but there were plenty of gems from Saturday night’s NFL/Hollywood mashup:

You wouldn’t expect Eli Manning to embrace the pressures of playing quarterback in New York. But to hear Manning talk, it’s all about being himself.

A few observations after the AFC ran away with the 2012 Pro Bowl, 59-41: