GREEN BAY, Wis. — After losing wide receiver Greg Jennings to division rival Minnesota in free agency and letting tight end Tom Crabtree sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Green Bay Packers couldn't afford to let Jermichael Finley get away.
The Packers decided to pay Finley his $3 million roster bonus due Tuesday, ensuring that he'll stay with the Packers for his 2013 salary of $8.2 million. As the deadline of 3 p.m. CST Monday approached, Finley says he wasn't stressed out about it. He tells the Journal Sentinel that he never watched the clock and simply let it pay out.
Finley, who turns 26 Tuesday, set a franchise record for receptions by a tight end last season with 61 for 676 yards and two touchdowns after overcoming some early inconsistency.