NFL.com's Judy Battista reports the Giants are "expected to start GM interviews next week," but the team is "unlikely to name one before end of the season so they don't miss chance to talk to candidates currently with teams" (TWITTER.com, 12/13). In N.Y., Paul Schwartz reports the Giants are in "no rush to fill" the vacancy, as they "want to get it right." The team "might dip into their past and hire" former Panthers GM and longtime Giants exec Dave Gettleman, but that may not be necessarily "where the Giants are headed." Since firing Jerry Reese earlier this month, the Giants have not "conducted any interviews and cannot speak with any potential candidate currently employed in the NFL until after the season." While the search "may eventually lead back to Gettleman," President & CEO John Mara and Chair Steve Tisch "do want to hear from other potential suitors" (N.Y. POST, 12/13).
THE RETURN: In Green Bay, Richard Ryman notes Aaron Rodgers' expected return from injury this week is "driving ticket prices" for the Packers' remaining games against the Panthers, Vikings and Lions. Early yesterday, when a Rodgers announcement "seemed possible at any time, tickets for Sunday's game in Charlotte were higher than last week." As the day "wore on without an announcement, prices trended down for Sunday but held for the following two weeks" (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 12/13).
THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE... In Cincinnati, Paul Daugherty noted local Bengals fan Jeff Wagner has had three banners "confiscated for no reason" over the past four weeks by the 5-8 team. Wagner's signs, which he hung to a back wall at Paul Brown Stadium, featured the messages, "Same As It Ever Was," "Hope Is Not A Plan" and "Change Is Good." It is "too obvious to say the Bengals should spend more time improving the product and less time trashing a loyal fan’s free speech." Daugherty: "So we’ll just say tearing down a banner that’s not profane or inciteful, one that is, in fact, true, comes off as petty and small-minded" (CINCINNATI.com, 12/12).
