NFL Player News

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was asked Tuesday whether he agreed with the NFL suspending Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh for Detroit's playoff game at Dallas. Suh received the suspension for stomping on Rodgers' ankle Sunday.

"Well, I don't know," Rodgers told ESPN 540. "I'm anxious to see what happens with the appeal. If you step on something in your everyday life, or if you step on somebody on the field, the first reaction seems to be looking back and maybe apologizing with your hands. Or pulling your foot back right away. And I'm just not sure that's what happened."

Suh appealed the suspension and is hoping his punishment will be reduced to a fine.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers called his left calf injury "significant," saying it's injured in two spots, but believes he'll be in better shape for the Jan. 11 playoff game than he was Week 17 against the Lions, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

"I've been doing a lot of treatment around the clock," Rodgers told ESPN 540 on Tuesday. "That's the goal. Mike (McCarthy) is going to give me, I think, as much time off as I need, working up to it. But I'm going to want to get some on-the-field reps when we get into our preparation and we figure out who our opponent is."

Rodgers said the extra week of rest will put him in a "better spot" than he was last Sunday. He would not address whether he'll be 100 percent.

When Rodgers scrambled and hit Randall Cobb for a touchdown Sunday, he thought he might have popped his Achilles tendon. The pain was that intense, Rodgers said.

"That's why I stayed down," he said.

While Rodgers won't miss the playoff game, he admitted the injury has limited him, especially because his game has been "predicated on movement outside the pocket."

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer made it clear "Teddy is the quarterback," indicating Teddy Bridgewater won't face competition for the 2015 starting job, reports ESPN.com. Bridgewater finished his rookie season on a high note, throwing 10 touchdowns and six interceptions in the final six games.

Minnesota went 6-6 in his 12 starts. All told, Bridgewater completed 64.4 percent of his throws for 2,919 yards with 15 touchdowns (one rushing) and 12 interceptions.

While quarterback Geno Smith's future with the Jets will depend on who the team hires as the new general manager and head coach, he at least received an endorsement Monday from owner Woody Johnson.

"I've got confidence in Geno," Johnson said, per ESPN. "I really do. He'll be good." 

Smith is coming off one of his finest performances as a pro, posting a perfect passer rating (158.3) in a 37-24 win Week 17 at Miami. He completed 20 of 25 passes for 358 yards and three touchdowns. 

However, Smith has had his struggles during his two-year NFL career. He is 11-18 as a starter and has just a career 57.5 percent completion rate. He also has more interceptions (34) than passing touchdowns (25).

Packers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters on Monday that quarterback Aaron Rodgers "feels good" after suffering a calf injury in Sunday's regular season finale against Detroit, per the team's official website.

Rodgers was carted off the field in the first half with a calf injury but returned in the third quarter. He threw for 226 yards on 17 for 22 passing for two touchdowns as well as a rushing touchdown in Green Bay's 30-20 win over the Lions. McCarthy indicated Monday that he should be ready to play following a bye week.

"We have a good plan for his rehab this week," McCarthy said.

Just a day removed from throwing a perfect game and leading his team to a season-finale win over Miami, Jets quarterback Geno Smith skipped a team meeting just hours after the team parted ways with general manager John Idzik and coach Rex Ryan on Monday, reports Jason Cole of Bleacher Report. The reasoning for his absence was not made public.

Smith completed 20 of 25 passes for 358 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-24 victory over Miami, sending Ryan out as a winner. Earlier in the week, he indicated that a coaching change "could be good for us all," and that he sees himself as the starting quarterback for the Jets for a "long time." Smith, the 39th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, finished the season with 13 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions and 2,502 passing yards.

Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins said he would like to be traded if Robert Griffin III is named the starting quarterback for 2015, according to NBCWashington.com.

Cousins said there is no point to remaining with the team, if there is no quarterback competition. Cousins will be in the final year of his rookie contract in 2015.

"Isn't it obvious I couldn't stay here," Cousins said about wanting a trade, if RG3 is named the starter.

Cousins went 1-4 in five starts in 2014 and is 2-7 in nine career starts. He has thrown more interceptions (19) than passing touchdowns (18) in 14 career games. He also has a 59 percent career completion rate.

Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton completed 27 of his 38 pass attempts for 244 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in Sunday night's 27-17 loss to the Steelers.

Dalton hit Giovani Bernard with a pass over the middle of the field in the red zone, and he was able to leap over a defender en route to the pylon to score a 17-yard touchdown. Dalton's second score came on a five-yard pass to Jermaine Gresham in the fourth quarter, with the tight end doing most of the work after the catch.

Dalton ends the regular season with 3,398 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions as well as 169 rushing yards on 60 carries with another four scores on the ground. The Bengals will head to Indianapolis for a first-round matchup with the Colts Sunday.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr didn't do much Week 17 against the Broncos.

Carr completed 18 of 36 passes for just 158 yards. He averaged 4.4 yards per attempt. Carr did throw one touchdown, but also turned the ball over twice. He threw one interception and lost a fumble. Carr actually fumbled twice during the contest, but the Raiders were able to recover one of the loose balls. Carr wasn't much of a threat on the ground, picking up 6 rushing yards on three attempts. 

In his rookie season, Carr wound up starting all 16 games for Oakland. He finished with 21 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. Carr threw for 3,270 yards. 

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson had a rough game Week 17 against the Rams.

Wilson completed 17 of 25 passes for 239 yards. He did not throw any touchdowns, but did toss one interception during the contest. Wilson was under constant pressure, taking three sacks. He was often forced to throw the ball away when he was able to elude the pass rush. When he did have time, Wilson was able to hit on some big plays. He averaged 9.6 yards per completion. Wilson had six carries, but gained just 7 rushing yards. He also fumbled twice, though the Seahawks managed to recover both balls.

Wilson had a solid third season, setting career-highs in both passing and rushing yards. While he saw his passing touchdowns fall from 26 to 20, Wilson made up for that with a career-high six rushing scores.