Aaron Rodgers weighs in on national anthem Davante Adams Jersey White , NFL rules changes, & more One thing that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has made perfectly clear over the past several years is that he is much more than just a football player. Rodgers is an excellent golfer and has joined the ownership group of the Milwaukee Bucks, cementing his commitment to sports in the state of Wisconsin. He is also a dedicated member of the community in the area, becoming the most prominent public face of the MACC Fund and recently discussing his ongoing support of the Wounded Warrior Project. With these factors in mind, then, it should come as no surprise that Rodgers has strong opinions about the NFL’s treatment of players both on and off the field, the league’s handling of players’ social justice-related demonstrations, and general current events around the United States. Rodgers shared those opinions in interviews with NFL Network’s Michael Silver and The Ringer’s Kevin Clark, which were both published this week, and his comments are worth examination.In Clark’s piece, Rodgers dives more significantly into the NFL and its own specific issues. Clark’s premise revolves around what Rodgers would try to do if he were in Roger Goodell’s shoes as league commissioner, and he had plenty to say. However, one of the most profound statements he made involves the inconsistencies with the league’s owners’ reaction to players who protest about social issues during the national anthem: “If you’re going to take the focus off of what the protest was really about—it was never about the anthem, it was never about the troops, it was about social equality and racial injustice—then make it all about the anthem.” Rodgers points out that other activities continue on in NFL stadiums while the anthem is played, and he also looked back on the period early in his career: “We never came out for the anthem back in the day ... the messaging has been changed. If the owners see it as all about the flag and the anthem, everybody should be held to the same standard.”Rodgers appears to be in favor of everyone in the stadium being treated the same, rather than just the players on the field. He likes the idea of stopping food and merchandise sales during the performance, for example.But in talking to Silver Clay Matthews Jersey White , Rodgers explored the protests themselves in more detail, emphasizing that he and his fellow players “love and support and appreciate the troops” in the US military. Rodgers’ actions with the Wounded Warrior Project in particular illustrate that, even though it is the type of proactive work that often goes unseen or ignored; as he says, “the good stuff doesn’t get the headlines.” Rodgers also says that he refuses to engage with fans — or the current president — when they criticize him or other players for their actions or statements; in his words, doing so would be “giving credence to an opinion and value to an opinion that’s way off base — because they’ve missed the point of what this was all about.”Of course, as a football player, Rodgers has plenty of thoughts on how the league he plays in runs things as well. Furthermore, going through a contract negotiation, as he is now, is giving him a particularly informed opinion on the league’s financial setup under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.Some of the ideas he suggested are borrowed from the NBA, which is hardly a coincidence. He mentioned things like a soft salary cap, eliminating the franchise tag, implementing veteran-friendly contract options, and others. He also would like to see more communication between the league and players on all rules changes — another area where the NBA has taken the lead under current commissioner Adam Silver.Interestingly, though Rodgers is all for improving player safety in football, there are limits to how far he would be willing to go. The college football targeting rule, for one thing, is something he dislikes (saying “the enforcement lacks a little bit of oversight”), and he’s not a fan of the new kickoff rules. He’s also pleased with the progress on head injuries Aaron Ripkowski Jersey , saing “I don’t know much more you can do on that except fining teams who don’t adhere to the protocol.”Oh, and of course the guy with the iconic championship belt celebration is fully supportive of players being able to express themselves after touchdowns. “You’ve got to respect celebrations. You love them, look forward to them,” he said. “Let guys be guys.”Let them, indeed.Check out the articles below for much more of Rodgers’ comments on these issues:We Made Aaron Rodgers NFL Commissioner for a Day | The RingerRodgers supports LeBron, implores players to ignore Trump jabs | NFL.comPackers’ defense dominates Josh Allen, Bills in 22-0 shutout win After a disastrous stretch of defense, blowing a huge lead to the Vikings and allowing Washington to build one in the first half, Josh Allen was exactly who Mike Pettine and Co. needed to see. While Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense couldn’t quite get rolling, a dominating defense shutout the Bills, forcing three turnovers, and notching seven sacksto give Green Bay a much needed 22-0 win in Week 4. The rookie Bills quarterback finished the first half 5/19 for 58 yards en route to a Bills record for incompletions in a first half, to go with a heinous arm punt picked off by Jaire Alexander to wipe points off the board. In six possessions, the Packers forced four three-and-outs and the Alexander pick to shut out a Buffalo team that had jumped all over the Vikings in Week 3. Green Bay jumped out to a 16-0 first-half lead a week after the Bills took a 27-0 margin into halftime in Minnesota. The Packers’ defense had only forced three turnovers in the first three weeks, one of the worst figures in the league. Allen was generous in changing that, throwing two picksand sailing passes over the heads or at the feet of his receivers. Rodgers, looking much healthier but not significantly sharper than a week ago, bought time and made plays in ways we are used to seeing. He also missed some easy throws, threw his first interception of the season and nearly threw a pick-six on fourth down in the second half. Not having Randall Cobb clearly changed the gameplan for the Packers as they rotated running backs Mike Daniels Jersey White , tried to feed Jimmy Graham, and couldn’t quite generate the spark they were looking for. An opening-drive touchdown ended in a doinked extra point by Mason Crosby, a harbinger of things to come for the offense. They were consistently able to move the ball and get in position, only to come up just a little short. Costly drops and some bad throws stymied the Green Bay passing attack, with Rodgers making a number of key plays with his legs and just enough big-time throws to put points on the board. It was enough Sunday against a young Bills squad, but will have to be better for the Packers to achieve their goal of contending for a Super Bowl. Missing a hurt Cobb, the Packers lost Geronimo Allison to a concussion in the second half, forcing a pair of rookies into key roles for Green Bay’s offense. A lack continuity, experience, and rhythm held Rodgers and his group back. So did not playing Aaron Jones more often. He finished with 65 yards on 11 carries, a 5.9 average, and at this point the only person who doesn’t see he’s the best running back in town is McCarthy. Playing Lance Kendricks for any reason remains a head-scratching decision. For all the scheme improvements, some befuddling personnel decisions linger.Two promising third-quarter drives stalled out, resulting in a field goal and a turnover on downs thanks to the same problems that plagued the Packers in Week 3: drops, off-target throws, and some blown protections. In a game that should have been something like 30-0, the Packers held just a 19-0 advantage through three quarters. But the defense came through over and over. Once the lead was double-digits, Mike Pettine began to dial up pressure to confuse and befuddle Allen, ending in seven sacks and 11 quarterback hits for this Packers defense in its first game with Muhammad Wilkerson. Even Kyler Fackrell got into the act with a trio of sacks J'Mon Moore Jersey White , disrupting in the Buffalo backfield and flummoxing Allen into missed throws and turnovers. Relying on the defense to pick up a streaky offense wasn’t a luxury the Packers have recently been afforded. Buffalo hardly represents a telling test, but Week 4’s performance serves as a step in the right direction for this young group. Blasting Josh Allen doesn’t prove their worth, but not doing so would have been solid evidence of their failures. And speaking of Super Bowl quality, the last shutout for the Packers was 2010, the year they last hoisted the Lombardi trophy. Rookies Josh Jackson and Jaire Alexander shined in coverage against a pedestrian group of receivers. In fact, a receiver didn’t post a reception until late in the first half for the Bills. The much-maligned Ha Ha Clinton-Dix snagged a pick early in the second half, his third straight game with an interception. Even without Kevin King, this Green Bay secondary proved it has some playmakers, a welcome change from recent vintages of this defense. Through four weeks, the Packers offense has faced four potential top-10 defenses, but the offense simply isn’t where we expect it to be a month from now. This isn’t a Super Bowl offense right now. But if the defense can build on this performance against a quarterback like Matthew Stafford — not just Josh Allen — those offense struggles are not only mitigated, but provide a boost for when Rodgers and his band of merry men finally emerge from Sherwood Forest to once again pillage and plunder. This defense, for its part, isn’t out of the woods itself, but showed the potential to dominate a matchup, even against a rookie. They needed a get-right game and they got one. Whether or not they can get right on their own could very well decide the fate of the Packers this season.
