INDIANAPOLIS — Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has texted with Aaron Rodgers since the quarterback emerged from his darkness retreat last year. They haven’t talked, though.
“Our feelings haven’t changed about Aaron,” he said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “But we need to have some of those conversations about our team, where it’s going, where he’s at before we go forward.”
Rodgers is under contract but hasn’t committed to playing in 2023. He could force a trade, which would be the best thing to happen to the Bears since their last Super Bowl appearance. Rodgers, by his own admission, has owned his rival during his 18-year career with the Packers.
This isn’t the first time the Packers have waited for Rodgers to rededicate himself to them, but it might be the closest he’s come to leaving the franchise. Gutekunst said there was no timeline for him to make a decision, but he’d like to know by mid-March.
“Free agency’s coming up here …” he said. “It’d be nice to have some answers before then.”
If he wants to be traded, Gutekunst said it would be “a little premature” to speculate about his market value.
He said the Packers are excited about backup Jordan Love.
“I think I’ve expressed to a lot of people that he needs to play,” he said. “That’s the next step in his progression. He needs to play. Jordan’s done a great job working hard, so he’s doing everything we’re asking.”
Jackson makes progress
Bears safety Eddie Jackson doesn’t sound like a cap casualty.
“I was excited about the progress that he made,” general manager Ryan Poles said. “I thought he was heading in the right direction, getting back to the ball with takeaways. I thought he tackled well, too. So we’re excited about Eddie.”
Jackson is recovering from a Lisfranc injury to his foot; the Bears wouldn’t say if he’d be ready for offseason practices.
“I saw Eddie a couple days ago — he looked good, moving around, getting after it,” Poles said.
Wait-and-see on Montgomery
As he did last month, Poles praised free agent-to-be running back David Montgomery. But that doesn’t necessarily portend the Bears re-signing him.
“My feelings for David haven’t changed,” he said. “So we’re going to go through this process and gather information and have conversations and see what happens.”
Montgomery is looking for a multi-year deal from the Bears or someone else — probably for at least $6 million per year.
This and that
• Sean Desai, the Bears’ defensive coordinator in 2021, was named the Eagles’ defensive coordinator. He spent last season as a Seahawks assistant.
• Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said he chose former Bears head coach Matt Nagy as his offensive coordinator after interviewing Pep Hamilton and Marcus Brady for the job.
• Steelers GM Omar Khan said he wants former Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who is under contract next year, to return and back up Kenny Pickett. “How he’s worked with Kenny has been great,” he said.
• The Bears named Luke Steckel their assistant offensive line coach. He spent the last two seasons as the Titans’ tight ends coach and is the son of Les Steckel, the former Vikings head coach.
