PACKERS SIGN AARON RODGERS TO LONG-TERM DEAL

The Green Bay Packers have announced that quarterback Aaron Rodgers has signed a long-term contract extension. The extension locks Rodgers up through the 2014 season, General Manager Ted Thompson said in the team’s statement. “As we talked about in the past, we try to be proactive in our discussions with our current players and we felt like this was an appropriate time to try to come to an agreement with Aaron,” Thompson said. “We feel like this is good for the organization and the players, and we will continue this approach as we move forward.” The 24-year-old Rodgers was the Packers’ first-round draft pick in 2005. After spending three seasons as Brett Favre’s backup, he has started all seven games this season and has a 98.8 passer rating.