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      Aaron Rodgers's News Conference Laid Out Packers Conflict

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      The quarterback aired his grievances, which had only been hinted at, making clear the chasm that needs to be closed for him to re-sign with the Green Bay Packers.Aaron Rodgers’s summer of discontent ended on Tuesday when he reported to the Green Bay Packers’ training camp, bringing to a close the months of retirement whispers, trade speculation and answers in the form of questions. Photos from the team’s social media account showed Rodgers arriving wearing tinted sunglasses, slicked-back hair and a rigid grin. He looked like Bono approaching the red carpet for the iHeartRadio Music Awards. Rodgers may not be enthusiastic to be back, but he is back nonetheless. More

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      Deshaun Watson's Awkward First Day at Training Camp

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      The quarterback remains the subject of 22 civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual misconduct. But you wouldn’t have known that as training camp opened Wednesday.HOUSTON — At 9:26 a.m. Wednesday, the man who doesn’t want to play for the Houston Texans — and whom the Houston Texans don’t want to play for them — jogged onto the practice field wearing a team-issued hoodie and team-issued pants, and no one seemed to care.There were no fans present to boo or cheer Deshaun Watson, and if his teammates or coaches were delighted or disturbed by his presence, as he remains in both legal and football limbo with 22 pending lawsuits against him accusing him of sexual misconduct, this was neither the setting nor the time, of course, to make those feelings known. He has repeatedly denied all the claims against him.This was a holy day on the N.F.L. calendar, the first day of training camp, when franchises are duty-bound to savor the return of football, and to peddle optimism and discuss The Team, not address off-field matters.“I felt the buzz,” said Coach David Culley, who was hired in January.Even if the Texans didn’t notice the cognitive dissonance between reality and the optimism they were propagating, it was striking.The players are excited. The team is excited. The organization is excited. Everyone is excited, including Watson, who has a standing request to be traded to another team. He spent most of the second half of practice Wednesday doing things that quarterbacks of his caliber — he last year led the league in passing — generally do at this time of year.Donning a No. 23 red no-contact jersey over his usual No. 4, he played scout-team defense, lining up as a safety in two-deep coverage. He caught a swing pass out of the backfield. He stood with his hands behind his back, or folded across his chest, as the Texans’ other three quarterbacks — Tyrod Taylor, Jeff Driskel and Davis Mills — participated in 11-on-11 drills.“He’s been just like everybody else,” Culley said, referring to Watson. “He’s been strictly a pro in everything that we do.”Deploying Watson in these roles is all part of the Texans’ plan, Culley said. This is training camp, and Watson needs to learn a new offense that he will likely never operate. These summer practices are just a ramp-up period, and the Texans don’t want to get into a situation where he overexerts himself, which is thoughtful on their part. He did, after all, tear a knee ligament in practice in 2017, and another freak injury could burden the Texans with his $10.54 million contract. These are similar drills to what Watson was doing then, but it’s not like players ever get hurt twice. Not when they don’t want to play for the team, and the team doesn’t want them, either.“Guys throw too much, guys’ arms get sore,” Culley said. “And we want to make sure none of those things happen.”The N.F.L. has permitted Watson to participate unrestricted in all club activities as their investigation into his conduct remains open.Justin Rex/Associated PressThe Texans did not immediately comply with Watson’s trade request several months ago, and then in March and April came the deluge of lawsuits: 23 in all (22 are active). According to ESPN, at least 10 criminal complaints have been filed with the Houston Police Department. The lawsuits and complaints accused Watson of a pattern of lewd behavior with women hired to provide personal services, such as massages.As the cases mounted, he didn’t attend the Texans’ off-season program. Watson’s only apparent incentive for reporting to the team Wednesday was so that he didn’t get fined $50,000 for missing days. Once the Texans’ franchise quarterback, he didn’t take first- or second- or third-team reps.Watson was not made available to the news media Wednesday.“It really hasn’t been a distraction,” said Nick Caserio, the team’s general manager, “and I don’t think it will be a distraction.”“It was no surprise,” Culley said of Watson’s decision to report, “so just business as usual.”That’s what everyone in football allowed Wednesday to be, a normal day. The N.F.L. hasn’t placed Watson on the commissioner’s exempt list, a paid suspension for players being investigated by the league for conduct violations. So he joined the quarterbacks in the front row of the stretching period, and he ran through ball security drills, and he bent on one knee, helmet on the ground, his hoodie pulled tight, with no one around him. The N.F.L. has not yet interviewed many relevant parties in the civil cases, and as the league continues to investigate Watson, it has permitted him to participate unrestricted in all club activities.“Every team is dealing with different things, obviously, around the league,” Caserio said, “so we’re no different.”Not at all, which explains why some players were so happy to discuss Watson’s situation.“I’m not answering those questions,” receiver Brandin Cooks said.“I don’t want to really speak much on it because it’s not my situation,” running back David Johnson said.“We’re excited to have him, but it’s up to the team and the coaches,” safety A.J. Moore said.The Texans are respectful of everybody and everything that’s involved, but they will do what’s in the best interest of their organization, because that is what Caserio said the franchise would do. All the Texans can do, really, is control their effort and their attitude and their preparation — not much beyond that. There’s nothing else the Texans could have said or done Wednesday, because a misstep might affect Watson’s trade value, and it’s pretty safe to assume that victims of sexual assault would agree that’s the most important thing.“Institutions replicate themselves,” said René Redwood, a consultant for inclusion and equality who has advised the league on issues of race and abuse. “A body in motion will remain in motion until disturbed by an outside force.”The Texans open the season Sept. 12 against Jacksonville, and it’s impossible, just impossible, to predict whether Watson will be the team’s starter that day. Houston has six weeks to figure out what’s best for the team after a first day of training camp that wasn’t at all weird or awkward or unsettling in the least. More

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      N.F.L. Sets Stiff Penalties for the Unvaccinated, Jolting Teams

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      Commissioner Roger Goodell said outbreaks traced to an unvaccinated player or staff member could warrant a game forfeiture for their teams. The announcement prompted a backlash from some players.Throughout the off-season, the N.F.L. had stopped short of requiring that its players and other team personnel receive a Covid-19 vaccination, instead strongly encouraging inoculation. More

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      Greg Knapp, a Jets Assistant Coach, Dies at 58

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      Knapp, the team’s new passing-game specialist, was hit by a car while biking over the weekend and never regained consciousness, his family said.Greg Knapp, the Jets’ passing-game specialist, died on Thursday from injuries he sustained while being struck by a car as he rode a bicycle in California last weekend. He was 58.In a statement released through the Jets on Thursday afternoon, Knapp’s family said he was immediately rendered unconscious.“Greg never regained consciousness,” his family said. “He was surrounded by his mom, his wife, his three daughters and his brother.”Knapp, a California native, joined the staff of Robert Saleh, who is in his first year as the Jets’ head coach, in January after spending the last three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons as a quarterbacks coach. He had been an offensive coordinator in Atlanta from 2004 to 2006.“Greg had such an inner peace about him that people always seemed to gravitate towards,” Saleh said in a statement on Twitter, adding, “In his short time here, I believe the people in this organization had a chance to experience that connection.”During his short time with the Jets, Knapp, who was also known as Knapper, had been preparing the team’s young quarterbacks, including Zach Wilson, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft, for the coming season.At last month’s minicamp, Knapp told reporters that he had been enjoying coaching the young quarterback group, which also includes the second-year player James Morgan and the third-year player Mike White, neither of whom has played in an N.F.L. game.“As I’ve gotten older, I can say, here, from my experiences, I can tell you this because I’ve got enough trial and error on it,” said Knapp, who has coached veteran quarterbacks like Peyton Manning, Michael Vick, Matt Ryan and Steve Young. “And they’re getting it, they’re learning. It’s pretty exciting and it’s invigorating for me.”Knapp spent the first nine years of his coaching career at Sacramento State, where he had played quarterback. He was entering his 26th year coaching in the N.F.L. Knapp began with the San Francisco 49ers in the 1990s and eventually was promoted to quarterbacks coach and then to offensive coordinator in 2001.In addition to two stints in Atlanta, Knapp made stops in Seattle, Denver, Oakland and Houston either as an offensive coordinator or a quarterbacks coach.He was the Broncos’ quarterbacks coach when Manning threw for 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns during the 2013 season, both league records at the time, and in the 2015 season when Manning led the team to a Super Bowl win.Arthur Blank, the Falcons’ owner, was one of many of Knapp’s former colleagues who posted their condolences on social media on Thursday. In a statement on Twitter, Blank said that Knapp was a “wonderful person who had the love, admiration and respect” of everyone he worked with.“Greg’s infectious personality is most people’s first and lasting memory of him,” Knapp’s family said. “The phrase ‘He never met a stranger’ encapsulates Knapper’s zest for life. He had a unique gift to make everyone feel special, and to Knapper, they all were.” More

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      Tom Brady Jokes About Election Results as Buccaneers Visit White House

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      President Biden’s administration has revived a tradition of championship invitations that had grown sporadic under former President Donald J. Trump.WASHINGTON — Until a few hours before kickoff, Tom Brady was questionable for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ celebration of their Super Bowl title at the White House. He was the most prolific winner of titles and decliner of presidential invitations in league history.But when the band struck up and President Biden strode onto the South Lawn to meet the championship team, Mr. Brady, the quarterback and seven-time N.F.L. champion, was there, smiling in a dark suit and sunglasses, leading a small procession including his coach, his team’s owner and the commander in chief himself.A few minutes later he was back in the spotlight, tossing off political jokes like slant routes, mostly targeting Mr. Biden’s predecessor, Donald J. Trump, a longtime friend of Mr. Brady’s.Mr. Brady first needled Mr. Trump’s baseless claims that he actually won the 2020 presidential election, which many Trump supporters still believe. The quarterback said many people did not believe the Buccaneers could win the championship last year.“I think about 40 percent of the people still don’t think we won,” Mr. Brady said.“I understand that,” Mr. Biden said.Mr. Brady turned to Mr. Biden. “You understand that, Mr. President?” he said.Mr. Biden smiled. “I understand that,” he said again.“Yeah,” Mr. Brady continued. “And personally, you know, it’s nice for me to be back here. We had a game in Chicago where I forgot what down it was. I lost track of one down in 21 years of playing, and they started calling me ‘Sleepy Tom.’ Why would they do that to me?”Mr. Biden — whom Mr. Trump frequently called “Sleepy Joe” during the campaign — played along. “I don’t know,” he said.Mr. Brady, 43, is the most accomplished signal caller in N.F.L. history. After leading the New England Patriots to six championships in his first two decades in the league, he quarterbacked Tampa Bay to a 31-9 Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in February, shortly after Mr. Biden was inaugurated. It earned him and his teammates a request to visit the president at the White House.But as of Monday, White House officials could not say for sure if he planned to attend.Mr. Brady missed several presidential team visits under Mr. Trump and President Barack Obama after winning previous Super Bowls. He last trekked to a White House title ceremony in 2005, when George W. Bush was in office. His attendance this time around was rumored on Monday, then confirmed by photos posted to social media on Tuesday morning.Mr. Biden has in recent weeks also hosted the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, as his administration revives a tradition of championship invites that had grown sporadic under Mr. Trump after many players boycotted the festivities. An N.F.L. champion last visited the White House in 2017.On Tuesday, while Mr. Brady’s teammates stood on risers and baked in the heat of the White House lawn, the president praised the Bucs for their persistence in reeling off an unbeaten run to the championship after starting the season with seven wins and five losses.“This is a team that didn’t fold, got up, dug deep,” the president said. “It’s an incredible run.”He singled out Tampa Bay receiver Chris Godwin, who was born and raised in the same states as Mr. Biden. “Born in Pennsylvania, raised in Delaware,” the president said. “Where I come from, that’s a heck of a combination, man.”The president could not resist sprinkling in a few stories of his own, less accomplished football career. And he could not resist ribbing Mr. Brady — and himself — about their ages.“A lot has been made about the fact that we have the oldest coach ever to win a Super Bowl and the oldest quarterback to win the Super Bowl,” said Mr. Biden, who at 78 was the oldest person ever sworn in as president. “Well, I’ll tell you right now: You won’t hear any jokes about that from me. As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing wrong with being the oldest guy to make it to the mountaintop.”Eventually, Mr. Biden gave way to the team owner, Bryan Glazer, and coach, Bruce Arians, and then to Mr. Brady and his comedy routine.When the laughter from the relatively small crowd on the lawn died down, Mr. Brady and the Buccaneers prepared to give the president a customary personalized jersey, with “Biden” across the back and the number 46, for Mr. Biden’s presidency. The band prepared to play Queen’s “We Are the Champions” while players, including the quarterback, posed for photos with onlookers including several Florida politicians.But first Mr. Brady had one more joke, about how he planned to make the most of the remainder of his time at the White House.“We’re going to challenge — 11 of us — 11 White House interns to game of football here on the lawn,” Mr. Brady said.“And we intend to run it up on you guys, so get ready to go.” More

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      End of Denver Broncos Ownership Dispute Could Lead to Team’s Sale

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      On Monday, a Colorado judge dismissed a lawsuit that contested the succession plan laid out by the team’s owner, Pat Bowlen, before he died.The feud over the ownership of the Denver Broncos moved a step closer to resolution — and a potential sale of the club — Monday when a judge in Arapahoe County, Colo., dismissed a lawsuit that contested the will of the former owner Pat Bowlen, who died in 2019. More

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      Richard Sherman, N.F.L. Cornerback, Arrested

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      The police arrested the N.F.L. cornerback on Wednesday morning. They said he had fled the scene of a single-car crash and had tried to enter his in-laws’ house by force.Richard Sherman, the free-agent cornerback who is one of the most visible stars in the N.F.L., was arrested early Wednesday morning in Redmond, Wash., and booked into jail after the police said he tried to break down a door to enter the house of his in-laws. More

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      Barkevious Mingo, N.F.L. Veteran, Charged With Child Sex Crime

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      Texas police arrested Mingo as part of their investigation into an act alleged to have taken place in 2019.Barkevious Mingo, an eight-year N.F.L. veteran, was arrested in Arlington, Texas, on Thursday night and charged with indecency involving sexual contact with a minor, a felony.On the advice of his lawyer, Mingo turned himself in to the police and was released after paying a $25,000 bond. The police did not release any additional information because of the age of the victim and the nature of the allegation, which was said to have taken place in 2019.Lukas Garcia, Mingo’s lawyer, called the allegations “completely baseless,” adding: “Mingo is the victim of a false claim, and we believe this is motivated by money or some other ulterior motive. We are confident when the truth comes to light, my client will be fully exonerated.”On Saturday night, the Falcons said they were aware of the allegations against Mingo and were gathering more information on the incident. Several hours later, the team announced that it had released Mingo but did not specify what prompted the decision.Mingo’s release, though, came just hours after Sports Illustrated published details of the allegations contained in a search warrant issued to the Arlington Police Department.According to the warrant, the alleged incident took place over the Fourth of July weekend in 2019 when Mingo was said to have invited a teenage family member and his male friend, another teenager, to visit the Six Flags Over Texas amusement park in Arlington and K1 Speed, a go-kart complex. They ate dinner at a steakhouse and Mingo paid for everything. Mingo also bought the boys sports gear that they had chosen on Nike.com.On the night of July 4, the boys returned to a local hotel where Mingo was staying. The warrant states that Mingo made sexual advances at the boy while he was sleeping. Mingo then became more aggressive, trying to remove the boy’s underwear and having intercourse with him.The boy’s mother filed a complaint to the police in January 2021, and the case was assigned to a detective with the Arlington Police Department Crimes Against Children Unit. The police obtained a warrant in February 2021, and obtained Nike sales records from July 4, 2019.According to the application for the search warrant, the police sought evidence to corroborate the victim’s statements: “Furthermore it is known to [the detective] … that purchasing gifts for children is a known ‘grooming’ behavior in child sexual abuse cases.”Mingo had signed a one-year deal with the Falcons in March. Drafted sixth overall by the Cleveland Browns in 2013, Mingo has also played with the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans and Chicago Bears.Mingo, 30, was born in Florida and played college football at L.S.U.Alyssa Lukpat contributed reporting. More