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In four seasons as the Green Bay Packers' starting quarterback, Aaron Rodgers has missed two starts. One was the result of a concussion, and the other a coaching decision in Week 17 of 2011. Otherwise, Rodgers has started 62 of a possible 64 games, winning a Super Bowl and (likely) an MVP award along the way.

That resume was enough for ESPN.com's panel of 20 Hall of Fame players to make him a member of the "Any Era" team that has been rolling out this week. Here is a sampling of their comments:

RAYFIELD WRIGHT

"Aaron Rodgers has the ability to recognize and run an operation and run a team. You aren't talking only about physical toughness. You're talking about mental toughness with him, and he is mentally tough."

MIKE DITKA

"Aaron Rodgers is the epitome of tough mentally and physically. He can handle the hits, but mental toughness is something more important."

In the video below, Hall of Fame receiver James Lofton said Rodgers' willingness to wait his turn in Green Bay behind Brett Favre, and the way he used his three years as a backup, makes him in Any Era player. "That's what quarterbacks used to have to do," Lofton said. "You used to draft a quarterback and you'd let them marinate a couple years."

Jared Allen's eyes lit up last month upon learning that 20 Hall of Fame players had named him to ESPN.com's Any Era team, comprised of current players whose skills and mentality would have made them a success at any point in football history.

"Wow, that's great," Allen said. "That's why I play, to earn the respect of the guys before me."

Here's a sampling of what some of our panel said about Allen, whose 22 sacks in 2011 fell one shy of setting a league record:

MIKE SINGLETARY

"Jared Allen is going to will himself to get to the quarterback. I don't know how he does it. I can't even really explain it, but he lines up and the next thing you know, he's got the quarterback. The mentality and relentlessness that he approaches the game with is second to none."

WARREN MOON

"Jared Allen is just a tough, hard-nosed player. He's a defensive end who can get to the quarterback, but if he has to play in the trenches, he can. When he played at Kansas City, he played the run well. And in Minnesota, he is more of a pass-rusher. He is a throwback type of guy if you know him. He's like a big cowboy. He wears cowboy boots and tight jeans and he's a real throwback."

MIKE DITKA

"Jared Allen plays every down, hard and physical. He could've played in the '40s, '50s, '60s, '70s. He brings it on every play and gives all he's got."

In the video below, Hall of Fame receiver James Lofton applauds Allen for his performance as an emergency long-snapper during a Week 12 game against the Atlanta Falcons. "And he's covering punts, and he's running 100 miles an hour. That tells me right there: football player."

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Longtime NFL personnel man Gil Brandt, now an analyst for NFL.com, still has good insight into the inner workings of the league. And it's his belief that the Detroit Lions could make "a big play" for pending free-agent cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha whenever the market opens this summer.

Brandt, via NFL.com: "I wouldn't be at all surprised if they make a big play for Asomugha. And I think he would consider the situation in Detroit and playing for Jim Schwartz, who has won the respect of his team. A cornerback's best friend is a great defensive line, and right now the Lions have a pretty good group of defensive linemen."

Brandt also thinks the Oakland Raiders will make a big push to keep Asomugha, and national speculation has centered around his desire to play on the East Coast. But the Lions offer a unique situation: An elite pass rush from their defensive line and maximum contract leverage given their dearth of other cornerback options. No one knows how much the Lions would extend financially, but from a media standpoint, at least, they are gaining traction as a legitimate contender for his services.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• The Associated Press has a complete roundup of the confusion surrounding Minnesota Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson's summer camp in Oklahoma. (Yawn.)
• A Twin Cities politician has started an online petition to prevent the Vikings from building a suburban stadium in Arden Hills, Minn. Shoreview City Council member Blake Huffman is frustrated by the lack of public involvement in the planning thus far, according to Rochelle Olson of the Star Tribune.
• Former Chicago Bears coach and current ESPN analyst Mike Ditka will appear this summer in the HBO show "Entourage," Ditka told ESPN 1000.
• Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com examines the future of Bears safety Danieal Manning, cornerback Corey Graham and linebacker Nick Roach.
• Green Bay Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk, via Greg Billing of the Dayton Daily News: "We haven't had any full team workouts. We've had small groups of guys here and there working out together. The great thing about Green Bay is we're not banking on having any rookies coming in and play. We're not putting in any new schemes. For us the main thing is making sure everyone is coming into camp in shape and on time. We have a lot of guys who are accountable and take care of their bodies this whole summer."

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Chicago Bears

Gale Sayers is challenging the current players to help former players. "Some players of today's game think that they made the game what it is today. I beg to differ," Sayers said Friday night at an event hosted by the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund. "The players who are playing today are standing on the shoulders of those who made the game what it is that played the game for peanuts.

"If today's players cannot help these players, shame on you."

Detroit Lions

Mike Ditka says Calvin Johnson did make that catch against the Bears.

From the Kalamazoo Gazette, coach Jim Schwartz talks about the lockout and the buzz around his team.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers announced Friday that Eliot Wolf is their new assistant director of player personnel.

From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, a story about the Packers keeping their Super Bowl ring ceremony private.

Minnesota Vikings

The Pioneer Press reports that Leslie Frazier and the coaching staff have been discussing adding a veteran quarterback.

Also from the Pioneer Press, Minnesota's governor draws a line at how much the state is willing to share a new stadium's costs with the Vikings.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

I hope everyone had an outstanding weekend. By all accounts, 14-year-old Joslyn Levell of Morgantown, W.Va., did.

Levell, who has spina bifida and is confined to a wheelchair, was escorted to her high school prom Friday night by Chicago Bears linebacker J.T. Thomas, a sixth-round pick in last month's draft. Thomas' 7-year-old autistic brother rides the same school bus as Levell, and word got back to J.T. Thomas that she was a big Bears fan.

Their story was told in several media outlets over the weekend, including ESPNChicago.com, the Chicago Tribune and NFL.com.

Thomas: "This is just about her being happy. Although that dance might last two or three hours, she might have something to remember for the rest of her life. Anytime you can affect someone's life positively like that, why not?"

And with that, let's start our week.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune looks at Mike Ditka's expanding coaching tree.
• Bears tight end Greg Olsen on the offense's recent workouts, via Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times: "We kind of said, 'If you want to be here, you'll make a way to be here, if it's important enough to you.' We had such a great turnout, and we have such a good group of guys. We don't have to beg anyone to come."
• Former Bears running back Garrett Wolfe, a pending free agent, was arrested in Miami and charged with retail theft, disorderly conduct, assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest. Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com has more.
• Minnesota Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards, another pending free agent, won his boxing debut Friday night in a unanimous decision.
• Former NFL quarterback Chris Weinke is working with a number of drafted quarterbacks this spring at the IMG Football Academy, according to Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune. Vikings draft pick Christian Ponder is scheduled to join them this week.
• The Vikings' stadium issue isn't likely to be decided by Monday, assuming the state legislature goes to a special session. Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com has more.
• Greg A. Bedard of the Boston Globe reports that the Green Bay Packers have cut assistant coaches' pay during the lockout.
• Winning Super Bowl XLV helped the Hall of Fame chances of Packers cornerback Charles Woodson, writes Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com speaks with veteran safety Erik Coleman, whom the Detroit Lions signed to compete for a starting job.
• Tim Twentyman of the Detroit News speaks with Lions quarterback Drew Stanton about the lockout.

Examining the most crucial event in the history of every team in the division.

The most important moment in Green Bay Packers history was nearly scuttled by an unlikely source. Shortly after Vince Lombardi accepted the Packers' job as head coach/general manager in 1959, his wife was "distraught," according to historian David Maraniss.

Marie Lombardi approached New York Giants owner Wellington Mara, who owned Lombardi's contract as a Giants assistant coach. As Maraniss writes in "When Pride Still Mattered," Marie begged Mara to block her husband's move.

Mara declined, knowing Vince was ready to be a head coach. Marie stood by her husband. And the rest, as they say, is Packers history.

Lombardi's arrival in Green Bay was your overwhelming choice as the Packers' Flash Point, and it received a higher percentage of votes (69 percent) than any individual event offered in last week's series of polls. Lombardi won his first NFL title in 1961 and collected four more before giving up the job in 1967, building an unmatched legend and painting the franchise in gold mystique for generations to come.

Some of you made impassioned arguments for Curly Lambeau's push to sell stock and make the franchise a non-profit organization in 1923, a short-term fundraising effort that embedded a structure still in operation today. "How can it not be Curly?" wrote mallow420. "If Curly doesn't save the Packers then there's no Packers to hire Lombardi."

Hadessniper allowed that "Lambeau making the Packers public is more important for the Packers, as without that there is simply no way Green Bay keeps a team." But, wrote hadessniper, "Lombardi is probably more important for the NFL as a whole. The NFL was gaining popularity, but Lombardi gave the game a legend. Without Lombardi the NFL wouldn't be what it is today."

Timarquardt was more direct: "Get back to me when someone else wins five championships in seven years. That's Lombardi's legacy and with all due credit to Curly, he did it when there was a bunch of good teams. Curly saved the franchise, obviously important, but without those Lombardi years the team never would have had the following through the dark years of the '70s and '80s to be successful."

What's fascinating to me is that Lambeau actually wanted Lombardi's job in 1959, a decade after an internal power struggle led to Lambeau's ouster. As Maraniss recounts, Lambeau flew to Green Bay during the interview process and launched a campaign to capture at least the general manager position that Lombardi ultimately filled. Dominic Olejniczak, president of the Packers board of directors, resisted the urge to hire him despite heavy public support.

The Flash Point mandate was less clear for the NFC North's other three teams. Let's sort through them in alphabetical order:

BEARS: A hero of 1985

About half of you voted for the arrival of defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, the architect of the 46 defense that led the Bears to a championship in 1985.

Lewie21982 was livid and wrote: "Who are these people voting?? Are you just idiot baby boomers, hippies, or the '80s mullet crowd??? I was born in the '80s and clearly know the decision of drafting Red Grange or instituting the T-Formation was the most significant thing the Bears have ever done. The Bears have nine championships and eight of them were before Buddy Ryan, Mike Ditka, or the 46 defense ever came around!!"

I hear ya, Lewie21982. Red Grange made the Bears an early heavy hitter in pro football, and George Halas' schematic innovations led to the golden age in franchise history -- four world titles in seven years between 1940-46. But I understand where the baby boomers, hippies and mulleteers were going.

The 1985 Bears were the best team in franchise history and one of the most dominant of the NFL's post-merger era. With all due respect to Ditka and running back Walter Payton, Ryan's 46 defense was the biggest reason. It's impossible for a single moment to spawn something so impactful, and I heard a suggestion for ex-general manager Jim Finks acquiring many of that team's stars. But without Buddy Ryan, the 46 defense doesn't exist and the 1985 Bears as they were known never come to be.

LIONS: Forgetting yesteryear

The Detroit Lions' Flash Point vote got more action than any team in the division, garnering more than 53,000 votes. On that, we can agree.

But did the decision to draft running back Barry Sanders have more impact than any other event in franchise history? About 60 percent of you thought so, although the comments reflected a wider disparity.

I'm not on board, and neither was j_sleik83. We agree that quarterback Bobby Layne brought the Lions what Sanders never did. J_sleik83: "Bobby Layne in combination with the Hall of Fame defensive backfield the Lions had during the entirety of the '50s IS their defining era. Barry Sanders didn't lead them to the promised land, Layne did."

I mean no disrespect to Sanders, who forged a Hall of Fame career on some otherwise undermanned teams. But with Layne behind center, the Lions won NFL titles in 1952 and 1953. He contributed to a third in 1957, and upon his subsequent departure, Layne placed a (possibly apocryphal) 50-year curse on the franchise. (For that reason, DWargs thought trading Layne away is the defining moment in franchise history: "Haven't gotten close to a championship since.")

Several of you pointed to the ownership of the Ford family as the primary reason for that dubious run. Regardless, I understand that Lions history is defined more by failure than success. But on an otherwise desultory landscape, the Lions once had a brilliant run. Bobby Layne was the single biggest reason why.

VIKINGS: Varied opinions

I did either an excellent or terrible job of choosing options for the Minnesota Vikings' Flash Point: All four possibilities received between 19 and 32 percent of the vote. Assembling the "Purple People Eaters" had the highest percentage, but its total was hardly a mandate among the 38,000 or so votes cast.

Scanning the comments, it was clear that you agreed on only one thing: A Vikings Flash Point needed to reflect a long history of dysfunction.

Even looking beyond the obvious, Ymacdaddy offered this litany: "Herschel Walker, Metrodome [collapse], Gary Anderson, Dimitrius Underwood, too many in huddle, big-game chokers, etc. How about Darrin Nelson before Marcus Allen?"

The 1989 Walker trade, in which the Vikings ultimately gave up five players and six draft choices, received multiple mentions. So did Gary Anderson's shocking field goal miss in the 1998 NFC Championship Game. BuckeyeVikes80 is "still reeling from that 12 years later."

Dbatten1 noted Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach's Hail Mary pass to Drew "Push" Pearson in the 1975 playoffs. TampaPacMan's moment was the final play of the 2003 season, when the Vikings lost the NFC North title and a playoff berth by giving up an improbable touchdown to Arizona Cardinals receiver Nathan Poole. It was "the signature moment in a franchise history littered with failures!" wrote TampaPacMan.

If it were up to me, Bud Grant's arrival would rank as the most significant moment in Vikings history. Many of us would agree that Grant has made the single-biggest impact in this franchise's 50 years. But what do I know? I just work here.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Is Cal safety Chris Conte a smart find or an untested reach? That's the question Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune explores of the Chicago Bears' third-round draft selection.

Biggs: "There was a wide range of opinions about 6-foot-2, 197-pound Conte on draft weekend. One scouting director in another city said he was the top safety on his team's board. A veteran scout for another club mocked the selection, the seventh safety the Bears have drafted in seven years. The disparity is likely due to the fact Conte was one-year starter at safety and a relative unknown. A mixup that prevented him from playing in a college All-Star game kept him under the radar for West Coast scout Marty Barrett. The Bears view Conte as a future starter and perhaps more importantly they consider him a free safety. It's the position where they have been trying to fit a square peg into a round hole."

Conte has prototypical size (6-foot-2, 197 pounds) to play safety, and his background as a cornerback suggests he has more cover skills than some college safeties. But the fact of the matter is that he's only played one year at the position. Can the Bears develop him into a future starter? Or was he an expensive special-teams selection? We're probably a year or more away from answering that question.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• ESPN analyst and former Bears coach Mike Ditka on Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, via Dave Krieger of the Denver Post: "... I'm just saying that he needs to improve his body language, and I think everybody would admit that."
• The city of Minneapolis will announce a Minnesota Vikings stadium proposal Monday that would call for it to pay for 25 percent of the cost, according to Mike Kaszuba of the Star Tribune. Minneapolis is competing with Ramsey County with time running out in the Minnesota State legislative session.
• One of the most ardent stadium optimists, Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune, doesn't think a Vikings stadium will get approved in 2011.
• Tom Powers of the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes that "it's difficult to imagine a better location" than in Ramsey County.
• Bob Sansevere of the Pioneer Press speaks with Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder.
• Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette profiles Green Bay Packers first-round pick Derek Sherrod.
• Mike Vandermause of the Press-Gazette compares the Packers' two most recent Super Bowl teams.
• Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes about the offseason of Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk.
• Tim Twentyman of the Detroit News: "The best thing that happened to the Lions during last week's draft is what didn't happen. The Lions reportedly tried to move up from the 13th pick to the Cardinals' fifth pick in order to draft LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson. Peterson was by far the best corner available in the draft and getting him would have instantly fulfilled a need for the Lions. But at what cost?"
• Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan will have an assortment of running backs at his disposal this season, notes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

As we discussed Monday morning, the suicide of former Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson is a frightening development for any retired or current NFL player. Before shooting himself in the chest, Duerson asked family members to have his brain examined for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which has been tied to depression, dementia and occasionally suicide in former NFL players.

ESPN's Outside the Lines delved further into the issue Monday, speaking with former Bears coach Mike Ditka, former tight end Emery Moorehead and Chris Nowinski of The Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University.

"Certainly it hits home now when it comes to as close a friend as Dave," Moorehead says in the video below. You think about all the games that you played, high school, college, professional football. ... I think it would be on everyone's mind, retired and everyone that's playing today: Is there a possibility that I'm doing damage every time I lead with my head?"

Ditka acknowledged there are differing opinions on whether there is a "direct correlation" between head trauma and brain-related disorders but said: "I believe there is."

CHICAGO -- Greetings from Soldier Field. We'll have pregame lineup notes at about 11:45 a.m. ET, but I had to tell you about the cool wakeup call I got at the hotel Sunday morning.

Usually, I just pick up the phone and slam it down with my well-honed snooze reflex. This time, however, I could hear crowd noise coming from the earpiece. Then, a whistle.

I was intrigued.

Then...

"GET UP! GET UP! THIS IS THE COACH! GET UP AND DO YOUR BEST TODAY!"

I quickly realized it was Da Coach. It brightened my day. Hopefully it brightens yours.

Back in a bit.

ESPN NFL analyst Mike Ditka says the Bears simply don't understand pass protection. Bears coach Lovie Smith needs to step in and tell offensive coordinator Mike Martz to run the ball to take pressure off of quarterback Jay Cutler.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Chicago Bears

Devin Hester has been leaning on former Rams wide receiver Isaac Bruce for advice on playing in Mike Martz's offense.

Former Bears coach Mike Ditka was in attendance at a fundraiser at a local high school Sunday.

Detroit Lions

General manager Martin Mayhew says he has seen a difference in Matthew Stafford now that he's had a full offseason as the Lions' starting quarterback.

Tom Kowalski breaks down the positives and negatives when it comes to center Dominic Raiola.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers are one of 13 NFL teams to use the Sani Sport machine to sanitize equipment and help prevent staph infections.

Minnesota Vikings

Running back Adrian Peterson denies that contract issues were the reason he missed a minicamp in June.

Vikings.com's Mike Wobschall addresses concerns about John Sullivan at center.

Notable players: Tailback Walter Payton; quarterback Jim McMahon; defensive linemen Richard Dent, William "The Refrigerator" Perry, Steve McMichael and Dan Hampton; linebacker Mike Singletary; safety Dave Duerson.

The 1985 Chicago Bears were known, in equal parts, for their dominant defense and outsized personalities. The Bears' blitz-happy "46" defense spurred them to a 12-0 start, a 15-1 regular season record and the largest margin of victory in a Super Bowl at the time. And a roster that included three Hall of Fame players, five All-Pros and nine Pro Bowlers gave us some lasting and unique images.

Who can forget Perry diving into the end zone on Monday Night Football or catching a touchdown pass at Lambeau Field? Many of us can still feel the tension between coach Mike Ditka and defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, a dynamic that ultimately resulted in both men carried off the field after the Super Bowl. McMahon's message-laden headbands. And is there anything else to say beyond "Super Bowl Shuffle?"

Those sideshows were the grizzle on the meat of a team that was as talented, at least defensively, as any modern-day championship group. That collection of players gave the Bears the only championship they have known in the past 47 years.

Nearly half of the defensive starters made the Pro Bowl. Singletary and Hampton are in the Hall of Fame. One day, Dent will join them. Two players finished with double-digit sacks: Dent (17) and linebacker Otis Wilson (11). As a team, the Bears forced 54 turnovers. During one particularly dominant stretch, the Bears went two months without giving up more than 10 points in a game.

Their only loss came in Week 13 at Miami, which finished 12-4 that season. But the Bears rebounded from that loss, winning their final three games by an average margin of two touchdowns, and then elevated themselves to historic status in the playoffs.

On the way to Super Bowl XX, the Bears shut out the New York Giants (21-0) and Los Angeles Rams (24-0). The culmination of their season was a dominating 46-10 victory over New England in which the Bears set seven Super Bowl records.

Most impressive win: It's hard to look past a 36-point victory in a title game of any kind. At the time, it was the largest margin of victory in a Super Bowl.

Quotable: "In life, there are teams called Smith, and teams called 'Grabowski'....We're Grabowskis!" -- Ditka, painting his team as a blue-collar group that evoked Chicago's heritage. The nickname caught on.

Honorable mention:

1941: Six future Hall of Fame players contributed to a 10-1 record and an NFL Championship. All of its victories were by more than a touchdown, and its only loss was by two points to Green Bay.

1940: The same core of Hall of Fame players finished 8-3 and also won the NFL Championship. The title game was a legendary 73-0 defeat of Washington.

1942: An undefeated regular season (11-0) featured four shutouts over its final six games. But this team lost 14-6 to Washington in the NFL Championship Game.

ESPN NFL analyst Mike Ditka says former Bears star Gale Sayers simply answered a question that he was asked honestly. The players on the Bears need to be worried about two things: Green Bay and Minnesota.

Thanks to everyone who offered up their favorite NFC North Super Bowl moments. As you recall, I offered up three suggestions Wednesday and left two spaces open for you to reach a total of five. Well, as the Supreme Ruler of all NFC North blogs on ESPN.com, I’ve made an executive decision to expand the list.

You brought up three really cool moments that I think belong on this list. I’ve published all six below, including your comments on the latest additions.

I realize this list doesn’t include a moment from any of Minnesota’s four Super Bowl appearances. There are a few reasons for that. First, the Vikings lost all four games. Second, their last appearance was 33 years ago. For most of us, there is a generational gap that has probably muted the progression of any highlights from those games.

OK, on with it:

1. Play: Green Bay receiver Max McGee’s one-handed, 37-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter of Super Bowl I.
Comment: As the story goes, McGee didn’t expect to play in the game and missed curfew while spending the evening on the town. He was, uh, not at full capacity at kickoff.

2. Play: Green Bay kick returner Desmond Howard’s 99-yard kickoff return in Super Bowl XXXI.
Comment: The final score of the game sealed the Packers’ victory.

3. Play: Devin Hester’s 92-yard return of the opening kickoff in Super Bowl XLI.
Comment: You can’t start a game better than that.

4. Play: William Perry’s 1-yard touchdown run in Super Bowl XX.
Comment from Bshuma1: You just can't beat the big guy's celebration and toothless smile after he owned that linebacker.

5. Play: Brett Favre’s 54-yard touchdown pass to Andre Rison on the Packers’ second play in Super Bowl XXXI.
Comment from Capdogg13: One of the best NFC North moments, what with Favre running up the field. That image, along with being one of the best Super Bowl images, defines exactly how Favre approaches the game, no matter his age.

6. Play: Bears players carrying defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan off the field along with coach Mike Ditka after Super Bowl XX.
Comment from bcrawford85: Awesome moment in Bears history, let alone the NFC "Central" history.
Comment from me: I agree. It was the ultimate sign of respect and appreciation for the leader of one of the best defenses in NFL history.

• Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress talks about how Brett Favre has prepared for the game against the Packers, saying this week has been just like any other week but he imagines Favre may feel some emotions when he sees friends on the other sideline.
• Former Packers and Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren says he doesn't care what anybody says, Favre is going to be very excited for Monday night, but when the game starts, he'll get his emotions in check and be ready to play.
• Hall of Famer and ESPN NFL analyst Mike Ditka shares his thoughts on Favre facing the Packers.