They made the plays at crunch time their opponents…

Tyler from Crane Lake, MN

Vic was right. Aaron Donald’s Senior Bowl was just the appetizer.

The Rams’ biggest stars got it done in the end – Kupp and Stafford on offense, and of course Donald on defense. I don’t like all his extracurriculars, which chip away at the pedestal, but there’s no denying he’s been more dominant than any defensive player since he arrived on the scene. I remember Vic coming back from that Senior Bowl saying every team that passes on him is going to regret it. Well, a dozen teams did pass on him, including the team that took him. The Rams used their second pick in the first round to get Donald at No. 13 (they chose OT Greg Robinson at No. 2).

With the euphoria of winning a Super Bowl buoying him up now, it is very likely that Aaron Donald may not retire as he had hinted that he might this past week. But if he did, would that potentially put three players in position for first-ballot Hall of Fame induction five years out?

No question. The HOF class of 2027 would have only two spots available for modern-era nominees if Donald joins Brady and Roethlisberger in retirement. It would be a class as difficult to crack as last year’s when Peyton, Charles and Megatron were all first-ballot guys.

I admit it. I’m torn. So the Rams (and the Bucs) have proven that you can go “all in” and win a championship. Yet I also truly know that going all in guarantees nothing, and I agree with previously shared sentiment that getting into the postseason dance as often as you can is likely the best scenario for success. But then maybe the Packers actually did go “all in” this year and didn’t make it past the divisional round. It’s not as if we didn’t make key free-agent signings. Thoughts?

The Packers went as all in as they ever have with their cap machinations, along with the players they acquired and pursued, while protecting draft assets. You still have to play well enough to win the games that matter most.

I think your AR-induced headache regarding those who find him a disappointment comes from the fact that all his stats and MVPs are great for one man and not the team. Ignore this opinion, or belittle me for it if you wish, but it’s a valid point regardless of your personal view.

Wes took a lot of heat for how he left off that last Inbox regarding Rodgers, so I’ve got to respond to this take in particular. It sounds as though you’re saying Rodgers winning MVPs doesn’t translate into any team accomplishments, or that the only team achievement that matters is winning it all, both of which are absurd. Look, I get the frustration with postseason chances not being maximized, and he bears responsibility for some of the shortcomings. No one’s denying that. But his MVP play has given this team many opportunities it otherwise wouldn’t have had. It’s a valid point regardless of your personal view.

Brian from Menomonee Falls, WI

Do you believe there is any validity in the argument made about Rodgers’ fourth-quarter playoff performances? The one stating Rodgers started nine fourth-quarter drives with less than a six-point deficit and the Packers only won one of eight games? I feel most playoff games are going to come down to the wire. How much of those late-game drives (mostly game-determining) should be on the shoulders of a top-tier player like Rodgers?

A quarterback of his caliber is expected to get it done with the game on the line, and he’d be the first to say so. But while I’m not going to excuse the fourth-quarter offensive no-show a few weeks ago, there’s a lot more to those games referenced in your stats (if they’re accurate). He pulled off an incredible comeback in ’09 at Arizona, only to lose in OT on a missed facemask. He drove for the tying field goal in ’13 vs. SF but didn’t touch the ball again. Did the same in ’14 at Seattle when the game was crumbling all around him, but never got the ball in OT. After the miraculous drive and Hail Mary in ’15 at Arizona, he once again didn’t get the ball in OT. Dallas in ’16 was not a game the Packers trailed in the fourth quarter. You get the point. I don’t think boiling all that postseason insanity down to a stat or two does anyone justice or serves a meaningful purpose.

I was really happy that Aaron Rodgers acknowledged Ted Thompson during his MVP speech. Shortly after his speech, I was wondering why Ted wasn’t included in the Honors show’s “in memoriam” segment.

I thought I saw Thompson in last year’s. He passed away a couple weeks before the Honors program.

In Rodgers’ MVP acceptance comments, “thanking Green Bay for 17 years” sounded like a goodbye. How did you interpret his comments?

The Athletic beat writer Matt Schneidman’s tweet Thursday night said it best. During the speech and Rodgers’ postgame media comments, any thoughts on what he might do kept changing throughout. There was no nailing it down, though if I’d be so bold as to narrow it down, it sounds like playing elsewhere might be the least likely possibility. But whether it’s really just Packers or retirement, I honestly don’t know.