NFL Player News

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who signed a five-year, $110 million contract last April, will account for 13.46 percent of the proposed 2014 salary cap, reports the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. With so much money tied up in Rodgers, Green Bay cannot afford to be without him even for a handful of games.

The Packers went 2-5-1 in 2013 while Rodgers missed nearly eight full games with a broken collarbone.

"Well, I mean, Aaron Rodgers is the best player in the National Football League," coach Mike McCarthy said. "So to say you're too reliant on him, it depends on what side of the fence you want to look at. Does he make a difference on a football team? Absolutely."

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson might end up being a good option for anyone still alive in Playoff Challenge leagues as Seattle is set to face Denver in Super Bowl XLVIII.

Wilson has been a horrible Fantasy quarterback to close the season. He hasn't been over 17 Fantasy points since Week 14, and in two playoff games against New Orleans and San Francisco he has combined for just 318 passing yards and one touchdown and eight carries for 16 yards and a fumble.

But the Broncos have given up production to quarterbacks of late with Terrelle Pryor, Philip Rivers and Tom Brady all scoring at least 21 Fantasy points in the past three games. And if the Broncos go ahead in this game and Seattle is chasing points, then Wilson will have to make plays to keep the Seahawks alive. That was the case in the NFC Championship Game against the 49ers, when he had 103 passing yards and a touchdown in the second half for 10 Fantasy points, which is the most production he's had in the postseason thus far through two games.

Peyton Manning is obviously the best Fantasy quarterback in this game, but depending on your Playoff Challenge roster, don't be afraid of Wilson. He could surprise us with a big performance when it matters most.

The Rams are unlikely to draft a quarterback in the first round, but are interested in taking a quarterback somewhere in the draft, general manager Les Snead told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Starter Sam Bradford is coming off a torn ACL, and backup Kellen Clemens is an impending free agent.

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson wouldn't mind playing Super Bowl XLVIII in a snowstorm. ‘‘Hopefully, it snows,’’ Wilson said. ‘‘That would be kind of fun to play the Super Bowl in the snow.’’

Unfortunately for Wilson, the forecast calls for temperatures in the mid-30s, sunshine and little chance of precipitation.

Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, who's been studying film of Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, shared a few tendencies with the media, reports ProFootballTalk.com.

"Quarterbacks have tendencies," Knighton said. "His tendency is that he is a right-handed quarterback; he wants to get out to his right and throw. He’s more successful that way. So we’ve got to do a good job of keeping him in the pocket and force him out of his comfort zone.

"When he’s moving left he’ll tend to run it more and when he’s moving right he wants to pass it more. We just have to do a good job of containing him. He’ll get out and he’ll make his plays during the game, but we’ll just have to limit them.”

Knighton praised Wilson, saying he rarely turns the ball over and is improving every week. Knighton is especially wary of Wilson's scrambling ability.

“He extends plays, he’s a smart player and he can beat you with his feet and with his arm,” Knighton said. “We have to keep him in the pocket.”

While the Broncos practiced outside Monday, the Seahawks practiced indoors at the Giants' facility. Coach Pete Carroll called it a great day of work for quarterback Russell Wilson and his teammates.

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson looked up to Drew Brees when he was growing up, and Wilson reached out to his idol about how to handle Super Bowl preparations, reports ESPN.com.

“We've been in communication over the past week, just about the experience,” Wilson told the website. “Like I said, he knows I look up to him. He's a great individual and he was just talking about the experience, and it's no different. The biggest thing is taking care of all tickets and taking care of all family early in the week last week, which I was able to do last Monday and just focus on the game.”

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is prepared for the Super Bowl, according to ESPN.

Head coach Pete Carroll said Wilson’s preparation should put him in a good spot. “I don’t know how anybody could be better prepared to handle it,” Carroll added. Wilson’s preparation has been impressive. He told ESPN earlier in the week that he expects 56 different footballs to be used in the game. He also knows the Super Bowl emblem on the balls will make them slicker. Wilson is also aware of the differences in timing throughout the game. He’ll prepare as normal during the pre-game, but knows he’ll have 25-to-30 extra minutes in between warmups and the game. He’s also aware halftime will take 35-to-40 minutes, which is much longer than the regular season. Wilson is inexperienced when compared to Peyton Manning, but he’s willing to do whatever it takes to close the gap.

Lions general manager Martin Mayhew said quarterback Matthew Stafford needs some work, according to mlive.com. 

“I think there certainly has to be some work done,” said Mayhew. Stafford went into a slide over the second half of the year. While Mayhew was concerned, he doesn’t believe Stafford’s confidence has fallen. Mayhew added that he doesn’t put the end of the season collapse completely on Stafford either. The team will move forward with two quarterback coaches on staff, and could add a third. Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi will be tasked with trying to fix Stafford. 

The Browns will likely pay the $250,000 roster bonus on quarterback Brian Hoyer, which is due by March 15, per ESPN.

Hoyer was a pleasant, but brief surprise for the Browns early in the year. He led them to three wins in three starts, but a knee injury sustained in the last of those games knocked him out for the season. He is a considered a possible starter in 2014.