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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers endured perhaps the most challenging year of his career — a season marked by a knee injury https://www.thepackersfanshop.com/Kevin-King-Jersey , inconsistent play and the firing of coach Mike McCarthy.Enter new coach Matt LaFleur, who would rather look ahead to building a relationship with Rodgers than look back to find out what went wrong.“He’s had a hell of a career up to this point,” LaFleur said at the NFL combine on Wednesday. “For me, it’s just about what can we do moving forward. I know this: When I talk to him, the guy wants to win. I think he’s at the point of his career where he’s starting to think about his legacy and what he’s going to leave. The only way you can do that is you better win a world championship. That’s the goal. We’re always going to strive for that.“I think that’s where he’s at in his career.”Rodgers won his lone Super Bowl in 2010. He won MVP awards in 2011 and 2014 and led the Packers to NFC championship games in 2014 and 2016. The second world championship, however, has remained elusive.At age 35, he’s on the back nine of his career.To get the Packers back to the playoffs – they’ve missed out the last two seasons after qualifying the previous eight years – let alone win a championship, LaFleur wants to take some of the pressure off Rodgers. That means a balanced offense, particularly on first and second down. Green Bay operated the most pass-heavy attack in the league last season.LaFleur hopes to change the equation.“That’s philosophically what I believe is best to keep a defense off-balance, and it makes the quarterback’s job a heck of a lot easier Clay Matthews Jersey , it takes hits off the quarterbacks,” LaFleur said. “I think all these guys kind of have a shelf life and there’s only ‘X’ amount of hits in a guy’s body. So how can we extend our quarterback’s career as long as possible? And I think the way you do that is make a commitment to the running game and kind of build your offense through your running game?”The Packers arrived at the combine armed with a pair of first-round picks — Nos. 12 and 30 — and six choices in the first four rounds. They have plenty of needs, with outside linebacker, safety and guard among them. Finding an immediate starter at tight end, however, might not be necessary, with general manager Brian Gutekunst indicating veteran Jimmy Graham will return for a second season.Graham finished second on the team with 55 receptions for 636 yards, though he scored only two touchdowns. He played the last quarter of the season with a broken thumb. The 32-year-old has a salary-cap charge of $12.667 million for 2019, which includes a $5 million roster bonus due next month. Gutekunst could release Graham and create about $5.333 million of cap space but that’s apparently not the plan.“Jimmy had a productive year for us last year,” Gutekunst said. “Was really, really proud of him. He fought through a lot of things just to be out there. Guys who have played as long as he has don’t have to do that. His professionalism was on display each and every day Blake Martinez Color Rush Jersey , and I look forward to seeing what he can do for us this year.”The futures of free-agent receiver Randall Cobb, free-agent linebacker Clay Matthews and veteran linebacker Nick Perry have not been determined, Gutekunst said. They were three of the highest-paid players on the team last season but they all underperformed.“As we get all the information together as we approach the next few weeks, we’ll kind of have a better idea for all that,” Gutekunst said. Two young defensive backs were not working in the first practice of the summer." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesAcme Packing Company homepageHorizontal - WhiteAcme Packing Companya Green Bay Packers communityFollow Acme Packing Company online:Follow Acme Packing Company on TwitterFollow Acme Packing Company on FacebookFollow Acme Packing Company on InstagramLog in or sign upLog InSign UpSite searchSearchSearchAcme Packing Company main menuFanpostsFanshotsSectionsPackersOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 321 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections The APC PodcastPackers Film RoomFantasy Football AdviceCDTThe Green Bay Packers were hoping to get rookie safety Darnell Savage, Jr. on the field for the team’s first practice of training camp on Thursday, but he has evidently not been cleared to participate. According to multiple media outlets on site, Savage was on the sidelines for the morning’s practice but is not participating.After his initial physical exam on Monday, Savage landed on the Non-Football Illness list, which operates similarly to the PUP list. That designation and his inability to practice today are the result of having his wisdom teeth removed recently. With Savage out, Raven Greene took over his reps with the starting defense to start the day.Joining Savage on the sideline is another young defensive back https://www.thepackersfanshop.com/Dave-Robinson-Jersey , second-year corner Josh Jackson. The Packers did not place any players on the PUP list, so Jackson’s absence is for now unexplained. Expect to find out more about the reason for his inability to practice later on in the day.While those two defensive backs were sitting out, there was one notable return to practice. Josh Jones, the disgruntled safety who skipped OTAs and sat out minicamp with a hamstring injury, is in attendance and participating. As noted above, Greene got the reps as the starting free safety, so Jones appears to remain in a reserve role for the time being.Stay tuned for more updates from the first day of camp.