On Thursday Youth Arizona Cardinals Jerseys , Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers expressed disappointment that his contract extension wasn’t finalized before training camp opened. But he made it clear that he didn’t consider holding out, explaining that he doesn’t “operate that way.”

If Rodgers, who currently is making an average of $22 million per year, ever chooses to “operate that way,” he’d quickly get the $30-million-or-more-per-year contract he deserves.

Sure, the easiest and cleanest leverage for a player is to choose to hold out. Get-off-my-lawn rants from Bill Polian types regarding the sanctity of a “contract” notwithstanding, the broader contract governing the management-labor relationship gives the player the right to withhold services by staying away from training camp.

But the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which makes it easy (though not cheap, given the $40,000 in daily fines) to not show up, makes it harder to apply pressure in other ways. For example, a player showing up and then abruptly leaving almost never happens in a contract dispute, because the team can squeeze him into coming back with a so-called “five-day letter.” If he doesn’t show up within five days (duh) after getting the five-day letter, the team can put him on the reserve/left squad list, shutting him down for the year and bumping his remaining contract to the next year.

Rodgers would be one of the few players who could pull off a walkout, however, because the Packers wouldn’t be dumb enough to shut him down for the full season and hand the baton to someone like DeShone Kizer or Brett Hundley. While the ultimate boss move from Rodgers would invite plenty of scrutiny and criticism, Rodgers has made it clear that: (1) getting a new deal is “important to me”; and (2) he’s trying to focus exclusively on getting ready for the season. So if he gets to the point where the looming contract becomes too much of a distraction http://www.chargersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-derwin-james-jersey , he simply needs to leave camp, check into a local hotel, and wait for the money to flow in his direction.

The problem in the ongoing negotiations, as a source with knowledge of the situation explained it to PFT, is that the Packers are approaching the talks in a bland and traditional way, while Rodgers’ representatives are trying to be more creative. And that disconnect is what’s keeping the deal from getting done.

Short of packing up and leaving the Packers (until the contract is finished), Rodgers has other options. He can be more aggressive and candid in his comments to the media. He can turn the team against the front office with comments made privately to other players. He can be difficult in a passive-aggressive way with the coaching staff.

He also can (and possibly will) dismiss these various possibilities as “crap,” and that’s fine. He’s trying to strike a delicate balance on this one, hoping to get the financial package he deserves without becoming what fans will dub the latest greedy, selfish, ungrateful athlete who isn’t happy with the millions he has.

Here’s the problem: The current strategy isn’t working. To get the deal done, Rodgers needs to do something more. And there’s a full range of options, up to an including telling the Cheeseheads “smell ya later” and waiting maybe one or two days for the cash to fall from the sky.

Indianapolis Colts coach Frank Reich believes his starting quarterback will soon be throwing.

Andrew Luck will get the last word on when it happens.

Luck continues to rehabilitate from shoulder surgery that took place more than 16 months ago, cost him all of last season and almost all of this year’s offseason workouts. The Colts will hold a three-day mandatory mini-camp next week, and he’s not expected to throw then, either.

But he has been working out at the team complex since April, has attended team and position meetings and been learning Reich’s new offense. The hope is he will start throwing sometime between mid-June and late July when the Colts report to training camp.

”I think we’re real close. Again, I’ve never been through what he has been through. I could sit here and say what I think but It has to come from down in here Authentic Da'Shawn Hand Jersey ,” Reich said, pointing to his heart. ”There’s an instinct as a player that you know when you’re ready to go and you keep testing it and testing it and you work with the people you’re working with and you trust your instinct when you’re ready to go.”

The optimism sounds all too familiar to skeptical Colts’ fans.

They repeatedly heard similar comments from then coach Chuck Pagano and general manager Chris Ballard after Luck had surgery for his partially torn labrum in January 2017. Yet he didn’t begin throwing until early October, was shut down after two weeks because of lingering soreness in his right shoulder.

He missed all 16 games and spent the last month of season rehabbing in Europe.

Luck has continued recovering this offseason while Ballard and Reich have continued to suggest this time will be different. One indication the Colts expect Luck to come back came on draft weekend when they had a franchise-record 11 selections in the seven-round draft era and didn’t take a quarterback.

Still, Luck will have the final say about the timing of his return.

”He certainly has a big say in it. He has to,” said Reich, a former NFL quarterback. ”Got to trust the player. Really, any player who’s injured goes through the same thing. The doctors kind of give the thumbs up and there’s a lot to say and you get the tests and you feel all that stuff, but at the end of the day the player’s got to feel ready to go. That’s been my experience at every position.”

Luck hasn’t spoken to reporters since early April.

Back then, he said he felt good and hoped he would be full-go for training camp.

So do those around him.

”We feel really good and really confident with where we’re at,” Reich said.

Recently signed defensive end Chris McCain also missed Thursday’s workout and it’s unclear when he’ll return.

The Indianapolis Star and Los Angeles Times reporter earlier this week that McCain faces two misdemeanor battery charges in California stemming from an alleged incident on Jan. 7, when he was still a member of the Los Angeles Chargers. He is accused of spitting on and grabbing the neck of Arpi Davtyan, The Star reported.

McCain, who has denied the charges, is scheduled to be arraigned July 13.

It’s unclear if the Colts knew about the allegations when they signed McCain. The team issued a statement Tuesday, saying it was still gathering information.

”We sat down with Chris and we just all agreed that this would be the best thing,” Reich said Thursday explaining McCain and the Colts mutually agreed he should return home until there is a resolution. ”Felt like it was best that we get this thing settled and work through it. I feel comfortable with that.”

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