NEWSLETTER
We’re still a few days from the NFL’s conference championship weekend, but there’s still football to talk about. Could anything convince you that breaking tradition and moving the Super Bowl to a Saturday is a good idea?
Super Bowl … Saturday?
Frank Ruggeri of Palm Bay, Florida, has received more than 101,000 signatures since launching a Change.org petition to have the 2022 Super Bowl moved up a day. It would be nice to be able to sleep in the morning after enjoying a Super Bowl party…
Florida Student's Petition to Move Super Bowl 2022 to Saturday Gets Over 100,000 Signatures https://t.co/06beNNHh91
— People (@people) January 25, 2022
Frank, I got news for you, buddy; the NFL isn’t changing a 58-year tradition to accommodate your bedtime or you being tired in first-period chemistry on Monday.
Despite Ruggeri getting over 101,000 signatures on his petition, this is an idea that will never happen. Personally, I’m torn on this. I feel like the Super Bowl is just synonymous with Sunday. At the same time, I sure would enjoy sleeping in the morning after indulging at the Super Bowl party.
While Frank might have a point, to an extent, I doubt that the idea ever gets any real consideration, regardless of the number of signatures that Ruggeri can string together.
Aaron Rodgers Wants Your Sympathy
It’s genuinely incredible how Aaron Rodgers’ WWE-style heel-turn has become his identity the past few years. It’s like he’s taken comfort in this role, and he feeds into it. Every time he has an opportunity to say something stupid, he takes full advantage. This time Aaron Rodgers proclaims that football fans rooted against the Packers in their NFC divisional-round game because of his stance on vaccinations.
Aaron Rodgers goes there: "There's a lot of people tuning in rooting against us for one reason and one reason only, and it's obviously my vaccination status."
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) January 25, 2022
While there probably were people who did root against him solely for his vaccination status, there are plenty of other reasons people root against Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers apologized for being “divisive” and claimed that he never wanted to be a polarizing figure in this debate. Rodgers went on to say, regarding his future in Green Bay and football in general, that one thing he will not do is retire and then come back:
Aaron Rodgers says all options are on the table for his future, except this: “One thing I would 100% not do is retire and then come back a year later. I don’t have any desire to do that. That makes no sense.”
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) January 25, 2022
Is there a more egotistical jack*** in the NFL than Aaron Rodgers? I don’t envy Packers fans right now.
Sean Payton to the Booth?
Sean Payton is stepping away from the New Orleans Saints, and FOX is already hot on his tail:
BREAKING: @FoxSports wants to hire New Orleans @Saints coach Sean Payton if Troy Aikman bolts for Amazon, sources tell @FOS. #seanpayton #nfl #saints.https://t.co/dfwPZdtaPy
— Michael McCarthy (@MMcCarthyREV) January 23, 2022
The body wasn’t even cold in New Orleans before the news that FOX wants to hire the former Saints head coach surfaced yesterday. The report also quickly doused any ideas people might have had about Payton coaching their favorite team next season. Payton is under contract in New Orleans through 2024, so if Payton were to find himself on another sideline before then, the team wishing to hire him would have to compensate the Saints for the hire. Is it conceivable that a team would be willing to pay the premium for Payton’s services? Sure.
But I have a feeling that Payton will take some time away from the sidelines this season. Wouldn’t you if you looked at your QB room and realized that you were about to go through another season of Taysom Hill, Trevor Siemian, and Jamies Winston rehabbing from a torn ACL?
Vikings Hire Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
The Vikings have a new GM today, making the hiring of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah official. Adofo most recently served as the Cleveland Browns’ vice president of football operations before taking the Vikings’ job.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the Browns’ vice president of football operations, has been hired as the Vikings’ G.M.#SKOLhttps://t.co/yFLrYSFtzH
— Super Bowl LVI on NBC (@SNFonNBC) January 26, 2022
The word on the street is that the Vikings preferred Ryan Poles to Adofo-Mensah, but the Bears swooped in Tuesday and snagged Poles. Kind of like they snagged Justin Fields, a quarterback that the Vikings were high on last spring heading into the draft and even tried to trade up for. Lu highlights the intra-divisional dunking by the Bears in here:
It’s Objectively Hilarious that the Vikings Wanted Fields and Poles, but Got Neither Because of the Bears
(P.S. We only do pictures of animals now.)https://t.co/ubJQuyAQgI pic.twitter.com/9XMp2WiWZY
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) January 26, 2022
Extra Points:
• Where does the Bills-Chiefs game rank all-time?
The Bills-Chiefs game was surely an instant classic, but where does @ByNateDavis place it among the 22 greatest playoff games in NFL history?
Read and relive all the greatness. https://t.co/jh2a8Yw4ko
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) January 25, 2022
• The Jets have never been the same since the but fumble…
Longest active playoff droughts
1 season:
▪️Colts
▪️Seahawks
▪️Bears
▪️Saints
▪️Ravens
▪️Browns
▪️Washington
2:
▪️Texans
▪️Vikings
3:
▪️Chargers
4:
▪️Jaguars
▪️Panthers
▪️Falcons
5:
▪️Dolphins
▪️Lions
▪️Giants
6:
▪️Broncos
7:
▪️n/a
8:
▪️n/a
9:
▪️n/a
10:
▪️n/a
11:
▪️Jets pic.twitter.com/vrT2S9VTt5— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 25, 2022
• The Jaguars have narrowed the search for their head coach down to two candidates, per Adam Schefter.
Jaguars continue talking with Bucs OC Byron Leftwich and Colts DC Matt Eberflus, amongst others, but are not close to a deal with anyone at this time, per sources. Jags still haven’t decided which way they’ll go. Organization still going through the process and figuring out.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 26, 2022
• Schefty has the Jags still going through the process with the search down to Byron Leftwich and Matt Eberflus, but there’s also the belief that Leftwich is the guy in Jacksonville, and now it’s just a matter of numbers:
The Jaguars and Byron Leftwich are discussing contractual issues, source says. This was trending last night toward Leftwich getting the job, and that remains the case. But nothing finalized yet. https://t.co/FWv0GH7l86
— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) January 26, 2022
• The sad part is, this guy actually believes this crap.
Barbarian @BruceArians ! pic.twitter.com/Y36jwXvUjJ
— AB (@AB84) January 24, 2022
• LOL:
Postseason Pass TD since 1950
Patrick Mahomes: 25
Detroit Lions: 24 pic.twitter.com/lJfzOocIeS— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 25, 2022
• This is always one of the funniest recaps of the week that was in the NFL:
NFL Divisional round meeting pic.twitter.com/50Ykum0FFt
— Annie Agar (@AnnieAgar) January 25, 2022
• I’ll take things you love to see for $500, Alex.
Chiefs fans have donated over $173K to the Patricia Allen Fund at Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo 🙏
The fund was started for Josh's late grandmother.
Fans are donating increments of $13 because of Mahomes’ 13-second drive
(via @tv_meehan, @PhebenKassahun) pic.twitter.com/fcWeULJdhx
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) January 26, 2022
• Will Tom Brady take another run at Super Bowl ring No. 8 in 2022? The veteran QB is not making any decisions on his future just yet.
"I understand that at this stage in my career, there is going to be interest in my future whenever a season ends, but this week, all that is on my mind is the gratitude"@TomBrady speaks on retirement rumors following the end of the Bucs' season pic.twitter.com/tY3RXytBjd
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 25, 2022
• I get Bruce Arians isn’t going to come out and say that if Brady retires, the Bucs are screwed at the quarterback position, but him saying that “he likes what we have” in the Tampa Bay QB room beyond Brady is a bold statement. You could have opted to simply not comment. 😂
Bruce also said the Bucs will look behind “Door No. 2” 😅 pic.twitter.com/KV66TxR0sm
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) January 25, 2022
• I’ll leave you with the latest Gridiron Heights from B/R:
“They’re in a better place now…the Pro Bowl.”
It’s survival of the fittest when the #GridironHeights plane crashes during a WILD divisional round
(@StateFarm)pic.twitter.com/mkBMCCdtJc
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) January 26, 2022
