Packers, Vikings Dueling Over Greg Jennings?

Reports Tuesday suggest the the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings are the two front-runners to land unrestricted free agent WR Greg Jennings.


Where unrestricted free agent Greg Jennings plays in 2013 might just come down to whether he wants the money in Minnesota or the quarterback in Green Bay.

According to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports, both the Packers and Vikings have inquired about signing Jennings to a deal as the new league year opened Tuesday.

A source told FOXSports.com that the Vikings and the Packers have expressed interest in signing Jennings now that he is an unrestricted free agent.

Happenings on the Jennings' front may move even faster than most imagine.

Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette was told by an NFL source that if a deal with a team outside Green Bay is not reached by midnight Tuesday, Jennings could end up back with the Packers.

Jason La Canfora reported that Jennings' market doesn't appear to be "shaping up as some assumed it would."

The Vikings are likely offering Jennings a better financial deal, especially after clearing cap space Tuesday by dealing away Percy Harvin and releasing veteran cornerback Antoine Winfield. Minnesota needs a receiver, and hurting a division rival would only sweeten the deal.

But Jennings likely has legitimate concerns about the Vikings situation at quarterback, which is shaky at best with Christian Ponder under center.

The Miami Dolphins, another landing spot deemed likely early in the process, instead signed Mike Wallace to a five-year, $65 million deal just minutes into the start of free agency. The agreement all but rules out a Jennings-Joe Philbin reunion in Miami.

The Indianapolis Colts reportedly have not shown interest in Jennings either.

That leaves the Packers—the team that drafted Jennings in 2006 and who possess one of the game's top quarterbacks and offensive supporting casts—as a very real option. Demovsky's report makes it appear as if the Packers have a legitimate offer on the table for Jennings, albeit one that is less lucrative than Minnesota's.

If that's the case, and Jennings is muling over serious offers from only Green Bay and Minnesota, a somewhat simple question is likely being debated: Would the 29-year-old receiver rather take less money and continue playing with Aaron Rodgers, or is landing a bigger, more financially-secure deal that allows an exit from Green Bay more important to his family?

We could know sooner than you think.

Zach Kruse is a 24-year-old sports writer who contributes to Cheesehead TV, Bleacher Report and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He also covers prep sports for the Dunn Co. News. You can reach him on Twitter @zachkruse2 or by email at [email protected].

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Comments (26)

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Lars's picture

March 12, 2013 at 06:58 pm

"Not as some assumed it would." Yea, like Jennings and his sister. Looks like the market is a little soft for an injury prone, small receiver nearing 30.

This is day 1,. I would think now that Wallace got his silly money, Boldin's in SF, Harvin in Seattle and Hartline resigned by Miami, teams will turn to secondary targets like Welker, Jennings and Amendola. There's plenty of time for GJ to get an offer.

Interesting that Philbin had zero interest in Flynn and Jennings. Tagging either would have been dumb on GB's part.

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Evan's picture

March 12, 2013 at 07:15 pm

Jason Wilde: @jasonjwilde: According to an NFL source, the #Packers had made an offer to @GregJennings "a while ago" that was worth about $10M per year.

If true, I think that's too much...

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FITZCORE 1252'S EVO's picture

March 12, 2013 at 08:18 pm

If true... Eff Jennings! That would mean he turned that down! A very fair offer (perhaps more than fair) from the team that drafted him, got him a ring, and made him a millionaire. And he turned that down? Wow.

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Evan's picture

March 12, 2013 at 09:21 pm

The more I think about it, the more I refuse to believe that's true. $10 mil a year is nuts and makes zero sense for the Packers. With Jones in his final year, Cobb and Nelson just 2 years away from free agency, any kind of long term deal at that price for Jennings will seriously hinder efforts to keep those guys around.

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jeremy's picture

March 12, 2013 at 08:35 pm

Way too much!

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ZeroTolerance's picture

March 12, 2013 at 07:21 pm

Bye bye Finley.

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rymetyme's picture

March 13, 2013 at 12:14 am

Yep. A GJ signing likely means Finley is cut. I don't see any other way it could happen cap-wise with CM3 And AR due their big paydays soon.

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Mojo's picture

March 12, 2013 at 07:36 pm

I still think he goes to the Queens. At the last minute they'll up their offer significantly. They obviously need a WR, plus, more than any other team, they look at this as sticking it to the Pack - a team they hate. If they overpay then the Packer win.

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JJB's picture

March 12, 2013 at 07:39 pm

Pull the $ off the table and offer it to Golston from SF

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don's picture

March 12, 2013 at 07:57 pm

Give 10 million to a player who only plays a half year?Spend the money on good offense lineman to protect Rodgers...

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Omega's picture

March 12, 2013 at 08:05 pm

Yeah, run the price up for the Vikes

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Breadman's picture

March 12, 2013 at 08:22 pm

Forget Jennings. Sign Steven Jackson. He's less expensive and will do more for the offense. He provide balance, bring the safeties up, slow down the pass rush providing a great play- action pass fake. Pick up first downs on third and short keeping drives alive and our defense off the field. He would help both the offense and the defense and bring toughness to this team

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Oppy's picture

March 13, 2013 at 08:52 pm

I agree with all of this..EXCEPT the "forget Jennings" part.

You're absolutely right on the money about what Stephan Jackson would do for the Packers, his impact would stretch to all facets of the game. Dead on.

But don't bite off your nose to spite your face. Retaining Jennings at fair market value would only reinforce all those positives Jackson would bring to the table.

Staying as strong as possible on the perimeter would make the Jackson signing as impactful and efficient as possible.

I'd love to see Jennings resigned.. And with the Wes Welker deal, I think Jennings market is falling sharply back towards reasonable.

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Evan's picture

March 12, 2013 at 08:49 pm

Two more updates.

@TomPelissero: I'm told the #Vikings are NOT actively pursuing Greg Jennings right now. Of course, that level of activity can change ...

@TomPelissero: Word is Greg Jennings is still hoping for Mike Wallace money. #Vikings aren't playing that game. Maybe when the price comes (way) down.

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FITZCORE 1252'S EVO's picture

March 12, 2013 at 08:55 pm

"Word is Greg Jennings is still hoping for Mike Wallace money."

Is the dude delusional, and we just never knew it?

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Evan's picture

March 12, 2013 at 08:58 pm

What's that quote about shooting for the moon and missing...?

Who the hell knows. I'm honestly not too concerned about it. I'd love to have him back, but not so much at $10 million a year. If he goes to the Vikes for $11+ million a year, all the better.

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Oppy's picture

March 13, 2013 at 08:55 pm

Chances are Greg is just believing what his agent is telling him.

Quite frankly, I actually DO believe he's one of the top five in the league when healthy.. I guess that's the catch, though, huh?

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rymetyme's picture

March 13, 2013 at 12:21 am

I like Greg Jennings. He is an excellent receiver and seems to be a good teammate. His smooth YAC running is elite. Unfortunately, his agent has convinced him that it's his last chance at a mega-contract and that he needs to go all in.

I hope he ends up back in GB. I like him enough that I'd get rid of Finley and Kuhn -- who I love -- just to keep smooth GJ catching passes from Rodgers.

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Hands's picture

March 13, 2013 at 07:11 am

They are making it sound like the Packers and Vikings are bidding against each other to sign him. I doubt that is anywhere near the truth. Green Bay probably made an offer and GJ said no and now he may have to eat crow and come back to the Packers. If that happens, you will read reports on how tough the negotiations were and how they begged to get him back.

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Stroh's picture

March 13, 2013 at 09:07 am

I seriously doubt that... More like we made him an offer and he wanted to test the market. We are lucky to have him back!

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madmanJack's picture

March 13, 2013 at 07:43 am

i don't see signing GJ as the end for Finley. i do hope they can agree to restructure that ungodly contract soon. front loaded 3 year deal for around 16 mil would be fine with me.

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Lars's picture

March 13, 2013 at 11:29 am

Sounds like the Vikings aren't interested. Jennings needs two teams and so far he has one GB, with a firm and generous $10 million offer according to reports. How could Jennings walk away from that?

He's done what many do, (Kyle Loshe?) over=estimated his value. I hope the packers pull that offer because Jennings isn't worth $10 million a year and they need that to sign other players.

Also, would they really pay Jennings $10 million AND incur an $8.75 million cap hit with Finley in the same years? Message to Rodgers and Mathews in that scenario? Wait longer.

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Point Packer's picture

March 13, 2013 at 08:54 pm

I really doubt that Jennings will sign for the Pack at 10 million. Ted won't give him that money at this point. If I were a betting man, I'd say that some other unforeseen team swoops in and gets him for around 9.5 million a year. Interesting that the Vikes aren't going big for Jennings. Makes me think that GJ has zero interest in playing for them and if he did, they'd be overpaying.

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Oppy's picture

March 13, 2013 at 08:59 pm

Great point, and the Tom Pelissero report looks like it supports that... Especially with Harvin gone, you'd think they'd be all over Jennings.

Maybe they are and Jennings just flatly refuses to play with Ponder.

Maybe they aren't, and Jennings' agent is just trying to bait the Packers into a "bidding war" that doesn't really exist.. But c'mon, what agent doesn't know that TT won't get into that?

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devil doc's picture

March 14, 2013 at 07:00 am

Adam Schefter tweeted this am around 6am that Jennings is visiting the Vikings today...not really surprised. He was asking too much from them before, and now that the going price for most WRs is about 5-7mil/yr, he's going to have to limit his expecations. Not sure if this is just a ploy to try and gain leverage over the Packers to try and sign him for more or not. Playing with Ponder over Rodgers would be a monumental mistake, which makes me think there are some other underlying factors going on.

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dawg's picture

March 14, 2013 at 10:16 pm

I'd rather have Welker than GJ!
Welker, he's small, but has better separation than GJ!
GJ gonna get hammered in queen town!
To small and lacks strength off the line and timid over the middle--Lately! because of age.
Denver got good value.

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