Although the COVID-19 epidemic has hit the world economy hard, the NFL was still business as usual during the 2021 off-season. With thousands of spectators gathering at the banks of Lake Erie in Cleveland, the draft returned to being a live event. Athletes began reporting for training camp sessions this summer. Teams are also getting ready for a huge number of excited fans this fall.
While it seemed like business as usual, the 2021 off-season had plenty of drama, especially the quarterbacks. One of the league’s all-time greats hangs the boots at their Hall of Fame peak career, while another was still debating whether or not to enter the Hall of Fame. A Heisman winner attempted a comeback with his new position while the GOAT inked an extension through his 45th birthday. Furthermore, another quarterback came back to attempt to win the Super Bowl. Interestingly, another QB renegotiated his record deal to make a run at the championship. This marked the second time in the past millennium that five players from the American Football Draft class were in the top 15.
As the training teams get ready, let’s review the latest NFL news. This information will keep you in the loop regarding everything you need to know from the last six months:
Rodgers re-joins the Green Bay Packers
The current MVP, Aaron Rodgers, decided to return to the Packers at the beginning of the training period. However, he noted that he should be entitled to determine his destiny after the upcoming off-season match. Rodgers expressed his concerns about being excluded from crucial decisions. He even admitted that he’d thought about retiring. Fortunately, he may have settled his differences with the Packers since he is in his 17th season with the team.
Brees retires from the NFL
Drew Brees, the New Orleans Saints quarterback, decided to hang it up. Fortunately for him, he finished as the off-season’s best player in passing yards with 80,358. It should be a no-brainer that Brees may eventually be a first-ballot Hall of Famer following a 20-year career with the Saints. His determination and exceptional skills led the team to their first Super Bowl participation.
Watson is currently facing claims of sexual assault
Ten women filed a lawsuit against Deshaun Watson, the Houston Texans quarterback. They accused him of sexual misconduct in the massage sessions. They initially filed complaints with the Houston Police Department. Although the NFL stated in a statement that a “review of the serious accusations remains ongoing and active,” the team has not prevented Watson from playing for the Texans. Several reports say Watson requested a trade from the Texans before the charges surfaced.
Conflict with the Seahawks amplifies Wilson trade speculations
Rodgers was hardly the only prominent league quarterback to have a hard time. The Seattle Seahawks quarterback, Russell Wilson, was exasperated with all the hard knocks he had experienced. As such, he requested Seahawks to involve him in the league’s decision-making process. Wilson didn’t want any trade whatsoever. However, his agent’s decision to reveal the four teams he would prefer playing for fuelled the trade rumours.
So, there you have it. A brief NFLGirlUK recap of some of the biggest news in the NFL!
Photo credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports