GREEN BAY, Wis. — Brian Gutekunst’s decision to draft
It was just two months after that when Gutekunst was asked if he realized his legacy will ultimately hinge on whether he can find the next franchise quarterback without interruption.
“I don’t think I’m thinking out that far right now,” he said at the time. “But yeah, I know what you’re saying.”
Here’s a look at some of the questions facing the Packers, Rodgers and Love as their arranged marriage begins:
How will Rodgers react?
Of course, we won’t know until we hear from him and even then his tone and cadence may tell us more than his words. Almost immediately after the pick late Thursday night, one source who has known him since he came into the NFL agreed that Rodgers initially would be irate that Gutekunst didn’t get him any immediate help. The 36-year-old said after the NFC title game loss that he believes the Packers’ Super Bowl window is open, and “I think we’re going to be on the right side of one of these real soon.”
But on Friday that same source, who stressed that he had not spoken with Rodgers since the pick, said: “I think Aaron will help the kid.” Shortly after the Packers drafted Rodgers in 2005, Brett Favre said: “My contract doesn’t say I have to get Aaron Rodgers ready to play. Now hopefully he watches me and gets something from that.” The relationship was frosty at best that first season but improved over Favre’s final two seasons with the Packers.
1:49
Stephen A. Smith and Marcus Spears are on opposite sides regarding the Packers’ selection of Jordan Love and Aaron Rodgers’ status in Green Bay.
Why could it work?
If Rodgers takes to Love and isn’t driven into a state of bitterness by his presence, it could work out for the Packers. Favre had one of his best non-MVP years in 2007 after a terrible 2005 and a mediocre 2006. Rodgers didn’t blow anyone away with his 2019 season, although he and the Packers found a variety of ways to win all the way to the NFC title game.
“There’s nothing wrong with lighting a little fire under his [expletive],” one NFL source said. Rodgers has often used perceived slights to his advantage, from going under-recruited out of high school and starting out at Butte College to his slide to the Packers at No. 24 in the 2005 draft. While Rodgers has said he plans to play until at least age 40 and is under contract through 2023, they’d surely take two or three MVP-level seasons from him before deciding when to officially turn the team over to Love.
What’s the financial implication?
Love’s rookie contract should be in the neighborhood of $12.3 million (including a $6.5 million signing bonus) over four years, according to projections by Spotrac. By drafting him in the first round, the Packers get a fifth-year option. The $134 million extension Rodgers signed in 2018 makes him virtually untradable or impossible to cut until after the 2021 season. He has a cap number of $36.3 million in 2021 and $39.9 million in 2022. After the 2021 season, the Packers would save $22.648 million in salary-cap space but would have to count $17.204 million in dead money. If they moved on after this season, they would save only $4.76 million on the cap and have $31.556 million in dead money.
Why could it be good for Love?
If he can handle sitting — and he said Thursday night that he’s “going to take that time to be able to learn and grow as a player” — then it could extend Love’s career on the back end. He would save the wear and tear on his body early much like Rodgers did. He not only has the chance to learn from Rodgers but should benefit from a quarterback-driven head coach in LaFleur, much like what Rodgers had with Mike McCarthy. One NFL offensive assistant coach who evaluated Love said: “He’s a gunslinging [expletive] who has interception problems, but he can throw it all over the place. He just needs a little time and needs to be coached. Let’s see if [LaFleur] can coach now.”
What does this say about Gutekunst?
He’s not afraid to make a bold move if he thinks it’s in the best interest of the franchise. If he’s right about Love, it sets up the Packers for another decade-plus of success. Yes, a receiver like LSU’s
The New England Patriots are signing former Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Marqise Lee to a one-year contract, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday.
Lee became a free agent on April 20, when he was released by the Jaguars.
Lee, 28, has battled injuries throughout his career and never became the game-changing player the Jaguars hoped he would be when he was drafted in the second round in 2014.
He played in only six games and had three catches for 18 yards after signing a four-year contract worth $34 million with $16.5 million guaranteed in March 2018. He missed the 2018 season after suffering a torn ACL, MCL and PCL in his left knee during the preseason.
1 Related
The signing of Lee is consistent with an approach the Patriots have taken under Bill Belichick, identifying a once highly-touted player whose value on the open market wasn’t what it previously due to injuries or other factors.
Lee joins a Patriots wide receiver corps headlined by Julian Edelman, 2019 first-round pick N’Keal Harry and veteran Mohamed Sanu. Speedster Damiere Byrd, who played last season for the Arizona Cardinals, agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $2.3 million to join the Patriots early in free agency, and 2019 undrafted free agents Jakobi Meyers and Gunner Olszewski also return this year.
The Jaguars drafted Lee with the 39th overall pick in 2014, and he battled injuries early in his career, missing nine games in 2014 and ’15. He played in every game in 2016 and missed only two games in 2017. He re-signed with the Jaguars in March 2018 after the team was unable to reach a deal with Allen Robinson, whom they also drafted in the second round in 2014.
Lee has 174 catches for 2,184 yards and eight touchdowns in 59 career games.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss and Michael DiRocco contributed to this report.
As we eagerly await the return of world football, we’re taking this opportunity to look back on some of the most memorable goals ever scored. Going frame by frame, we’ll dissect how, exactly, these epic moments came to fruition.
Who, what, and when?
- Goalscorer: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
- Match: Juventus vs. Real Madrid
- Competition: Champions League (round of 16, first leg)
- Date: April 3, 2018
As the all-time leading scorer in Champions League history, Cristiano Ronaldo naturally has several doozies in his Rolodex to pick from. None, however, are more memorable than the instantly famous bicycle kick he delivered against his current side, Juventus, at the Allianz Stadium back in 2018.
In case you haven’t already seen it 1,000 times, here’s the goal:
??? @Cristiano Ronaldo #OTD in 2018…
? Scores one of the greatest goals in competition history
? 1st player to net in 10 consecutive #UCL games#OnThisDay | @realmadriden pic.twitter.com/wLIk8UGfCp— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 3, 2020
Going frame by frame, it’s fascinating to see all the little machinations that came together to create this jaw-dropping moment.
Here’s how Ronaldo, who was in the midst of a red-hot run that saw him score 19 goals in just nine matches for Real Madrid, produced one of the most unforgettable tallies in Champions League history.
Chiellini and Buffon get flustered
The entire sequence looks innocuous enough to begin with. A long cross-field ball from Marcelo seeks out Ronaldo but doesn’t find its mark. As it skips off the wet surface and bounces toward the Juventus penalty area, veteran duo Giorgio Chiellini and Gianluigi Buffon appear to have everything under control.
At this point, Chiellini, who’s never been shy about launching a clearance into the stratosphere when under pressure, has two options. He can send the ball into orbit and allow his teammates to regain their defensive structure, or he can shield the ball from Ronaldo and allow his goalkeeper to collect it, ending the threat right there. Easy enough, right?
It should’ve been:

Instead, in a rare moment of panic, the defender gets squirrelly. Having played together for what feels like an eternity, you’d think the two grizzled Italians would handle situations like this in their sleep. But there’s a moment of hesitation, and Chiellini, in trying to make a last-second clearance, meekly pokes the ball into the corner, away from Buffon but not far enough to get out of play:

This is where everything falls apart for the vaunted Juventus backline, and where Ronaldo shows off his goalscoring instincts inside the penalty area.
Mad scramble
The Portuguese star doesn’t have the same raw pace that he once did – even going back a couple of years – but he tracks the ball down before it crosses the line. Buffon’s out of his goal, while Chiellini and defensive partner Andrea Barzagli are retreating frantically to cover the suddenly gaping net:

Ronaldo finds the onrushing Lucas Vazquez, whose left-footed effort is acrobatically palmed away by a leaping Buffon – not bad for someone who, at the time, was on the verge of his 40th birthday. Of course, that wasn’t the end of the danger.
It’s important to note Ronaldo’s positioning after he lays the ball back to Vazquez. In the furor of the play, Ronaldo, incredibly, gets lost by the Juventus defenders:

If there was one player you’d think you would always be aware of …
Losing your marker
After Buffon’s save, the ball rebounds to Dani Carvajal. By this point, Juventus have largely regained a solid defensive structure and, on the surface, appear to be in pretty good shape. I mean, they’ve got six defenders in the box, compared to just three Real Madrid attackers.
The issue, of course, is that both Barzagli and Mattia De Sciglio seem nonplussed by the fact that Ronaldo is hanging out in the penalty area, practically by himself. It’s wild when you say it out loud – this is one of the most prolific scorers of all time, after all – but when watching the sequence over and over again, that’s the most stunning takeaway. As was the case with Chiellini and Buffon earlier, the apparent lack of communication between Barzagli and De Sciglio is staggering:

Throughout the entire sequence, this is the only time Barzagli looks over his shoulder to check on Ronaldo’s position:

Seeing his Real Madrid counterpart behind him, he instantly starts backpedaling in an effort to get on the goal side of the attacker. Ronaldo, meanwhile, makes a break for the penalty area. Simultaneously, the two men spring in different directions:

A quick aside: Had Carvajal lofted the ball to the back post, this entire sequence of play – interesting as it was in showcasing how forwards try to exploit spaces inside the box – would have fizzled out and been lost to history. Instead, he delivered the ball right to the penalty spot. Prior to this memorable tally, Ronaldo had been trying to score this exact goal for years, with little success. There’s every reason to believe this had been choreographed in training many times.
Okay, back to the breakdown. De Sciglio, who had to keep one eye on Vazquez lurking near the top of the box, recognizes what’s about to happen with Ronaldo about a fraction too late. He makes a late effort to reach the ball first, but it’s in vain, and he gets posterized in the process.
More importantly, look where Barzagli and Ronaldo end up as the latter is just about to make contact with the cross. They’ve basically swapped positions:

Thanks for coming out, Mattia:

In the end, a series of unlikely defensive breakdowns create the opportunity, and Ronaldo takes full advantage.
The reaction shots
And now for the most amusing (and enjoyable) part of it all. There are three notable reactions in the following shot alone – from Barzagli, Buffon, and Isco, who saunters into the top of the frame:

The Juventus netminder is rooted to his spot. It’s part exasperation – his great save just seconds ago was all for naught – and part shock. Isco can’t believe what’s just happened, as evidenced by his hand-on-head response. But the Oscar goes to the bemused Barzagli, who simply throws up his arms and admits defeat:

What can you do in that situation? Nothing, except applaud a superhuman athletic feat, which is exactly what the Juventus supporters did en masse. Whether that ovation actually helped in Ronaldo’s decision to later join the Italian club, as he’s claimed, is up for debate, but it certainly didn’t hurt.
The final word here goes to Zinedine Zidane, the Real Madrid manager who knows a thing or two about crafting memorable Champions League moments. This is someone widely credited with delivering the most iconic goal in the history of the tournament, and even he was absolutely floored by Ronaldo’s bicycle kick.
Zinedine Zidane’s reaction to Cristiano Ronaldo’s overhead kick is all of us. pic.twitter.com/AxNxIWrwp3
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 3, 2018
That may be the most impressive thing about all of this.