NFL Player News

The Bengals aren't expected to draft a quarterback and are prepared to enter 2015 with the same three quarterbacks they had this season, reports the team's website. That means Andy Dalton starting, Jason Campbell backing him up and AJ McCarron as the developmental project.

“He’s our guy and we’re not going to shy away from that,” offensive coordinator Hue Jackson said of Dalton.

Added quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese: “He was better with the intangibles this year and the ball was better coming out of his hand. You could see that right away when he came back from the last offseason.”

Jackson hopes the team re-signs Campbell, an impending free agent, saying Campbell "did a sensational job in the role we asked him to play."

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who sat out Wednesday's practice with his calf injury, participated in a portion of practice Thursday, including two team periods, coach Mike McCarthy said.

"He's getting ready to play," McCarthy said. Asked how Rodgers looked compared to last week, the coach said: "I don't do comparisons. He's getting ready to play."

Rodgers will play but lacks his usual mobility. Green Bay is a 7.5-point underdog in Sunday's NFC Championship Game at Seattle.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was bombarded with questions regarding his team's failure to throw at Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman in the season opener. He reiterated that although he has plenty of respect for Sherman, he plans to throw to the open man come Sunday's NFC title game at Seattle, per the team's official website.

"I plan to throw it to the open guy. That's the way I've played for a number of years. I'll go through my progressions and play the way I've always played," Rodgers said. "It's important to throw it to the right and to the left a little."

The Packers kept their top receiver, Jordy Nelson on the opposite side of the All-Pro corner. Sherman never switched sides to cover Nelson. Instead, he was on Jarrett Boykin or Davante Adams throughout the night. As a result, Boykin and Adams were held without a grab, but Nelson came down with nine passes for 83 yards and Randall Cobb registered 58 yards on six receptions. The Packers still lost 36-16 in Week 1, and Rodgers was limited to 189 passing yards, with one touchdown and one interception.

Rodgers missed practice Wednesday due to a lingering calf injury, but noted that he feels "pretty similar" to how he felt a week ago against Dallas.

The Packers are 7 1/2-point underdogs for Sunday's championship game.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers did not practice Wednesday due to a lingering calf injury. Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzien handled the quarterback reps Wednesday.

Rodgers also missed practice last week before leading Green Bay to a playoff win against the Cowboys on Sunday, clinching a spot in the NFC title game at Seattle. The Packers are 7 1/2-point underdogs for Sunday's championship game.

While Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Monday that quarterback Aaron Rodgers felt better this week than last, Rodgers wasn't nearly as encouraging Tuesday. After saying he didn't significantly aggravate his left calf strain in the playoff win over Dallas, Rodgers continued:

"It's not better. It's worse than when I started the game but it's doing OK. I'm tired of talking about it. It is what it is. It's a significant injury. I was able to get through it."

Rodgers made the comments on his weekly radio show on ESPN Wisconsin 540 AM, and they were transcribed by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Rodgers said he used hand signals to let team physician Patrick McKenzie know how he was feeling. "Thumb down meant actually I was feeling pretty good, so I was able to give him the thumb down a couple times," Rodgers said.

Rodgers was on fire in the second half against the Cowboys, hitting 15 of 20 throws for 226 yards and two touchdowns. He played almost the entire game in the shotgun.

"Nothing changed in the approach," Rodgers said on the radio show. "There was some apprehension on getting out of the pocket that stayed with me the entire game. I was for whatever reason able to move to my left a little easier, hopping on my right (foot) and not having to put a lot of pressure on my left foot."

Green Bay is a 7.5-point underdog at Seattle in Sunday's NFC Championship Game.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters Monday quarterback Aaron Rodgers made it through the game very well and that he feels better this week than he did last week.

Rodgers, who is playing through a torn calf muscle, completed 24 of 35 passes for 316 yards with three touchdowns in Green Bay's 26-21 win over the Cowboys Sunday. He is set to go through treatment Monday and Tuesday, as does the rest of the team.

It is unknown whether Rodgers will practice over the next few days in preparation for Sunday's NFC Championship game against the Seahawks.

Green Bay is currently a 7 1/2-point underdog.

The Packers opened as 7-point underdogs in next Sunday's NFC Championship Game at Seattle -- the biggest underdogs they've ever been with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, reports Pro Football Talk. Early action on Seattle pushed the line to 7.5 at most sportsbooks.

Citing the Spreadapedia database, PFT said the Packers have never closed as underdogs of seven or more points in any of Rodgers' 113 starts, including playoffs.

In fact, according to PFT, only once has Green Bay been even a 6-point dog with Rodgers starting. It happened in 2010 at the Jets, and the Packers won 9-0.

In Mike McCarthy's nine-year tenure, the Packers have been underdogs of a touchdown or more only three times. Two came in 2006 before Rodgers took over as the fulltime starter. In 2010, with Matt Flynn starting, Green Bay was a 14.5-point underdog at New England.

The large spread next Sunday stems from Seattle's home dominance, the Seahawks' season-opening 36-16 win over the Packers, and Rodgers' calf injury, which has all but eliminated his mobility.

In the AFC Championship Game, New England opened as a 7-point favorite over Indianapolis. The line was holding as of late Sunday night.

Although his sprained left calf felt "a little bit worse" after Sunday's playoff win, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is confident he'll be able to play effectively in the NFC Championship Game and, potentially, the Super Bowl.

"I think I've got 120 minutes left in me," Rodgers said, per ESPN.com. "So I'm going to do everything I can to make sure I can play all those minutes."

Rodgers, who's lacking his usual mobility, is not expected to practice much this week ahead of next Sunday's NFC title game in Seattle. He went through limited practices last Thursday and Friday, then lit up the Cowboys for 316 yards and three touchdowns in the 26-21 victory.

Green Bay is a 7-point underdog at Seattle.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers overcame a lingering calf injury to throw three touchdowns during a 26-21 win during Sunday's divisional playoff game vs. Dallas. Rodgers completed 24 of 35 passes for 316 yards and no interceptions, while rushing for minus-4 yards on four carries.

Rodgers, who came into the game as probable, wasted little time getting Green Bay on the scoreboard. He threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Quarless on the Packers' opening drive in the first quarter, giving Green Bay a 7-0 lead.

Rodgers' last two touchdowns were clutch in the second half. He connected with Davante Adams on a 46-yard touchdown play late in the third quarter to give Green Bay a 21-20 lead. Although, Adams deserves plenty of credit for that play as he made a few defenders miss on his way to the end zone.

Rodgers then put Green Bay ahead for good with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Richard Rodgers with 9:10 left in the game. Rodgers was able to avoid the pass rush and fire a pass between two defenders to his tight end.

The Packers will now move onto the NFC Championship Game at Seattle next Sunday.

Cowboys quarterback Dustin Vaughan, linebacker Keith Smith, linebacker James Anderson, tackle Doug Free, tackle Donald Hawkins, defensive end Kenneth Boatright and defensive tackle Terrell McClain were ruled inactive for Sunday's divisional playoff game at Green Bay.