NFL news roundup: Brett Favre praises Aaron Rodgers; Rex Ryan wants more credit

Favre thinks his records are in jeopardy, while Rex Ryan thinks he’s better than he’s given credit for.

Jun 14, 2013, 11:06 PM UTC

USA TODAY Sports

The NFL dead zone is approaching, as minicamps wrap up in the next few weeks, starting a six-week hiatus before training camps open up in late July.

But the NFL news cycle doesn’t stop, as we have a future Hall of Famer talking about his successor, a future Hall of Famer getting excused from minicamp and a Hall of Famer talking about the future of the game.

Oh, and Rex Ryan said some stuff, too. Here’s the latest news from Friday, June 14 in the NFL.

Brett Favre says that Aaron Rodgers will shatter his records

Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers have always had a bit of an awkward relationship, but that seems to have subsided recently. Favre recently praised the Packers move to go with Rodgers and said that his successor will shatter the records he set as long as Rodgers stays healthy.

Tight end Tony Gonzalez has been excused from Falcons minicap

Tony Gonzalez has earned the right to take a break. The Falcons tight end will be back for another season in 2013, but he has been excused from the team's minicamp, which begins next week. It's safe to say that coach Mike Smith can trust the future Hall of Famer to be ready to go come training camp. He doesn't need much coaching at this point.

Rex Ryan thinks he’s a better coach than he gets credit for

Rex Ryan gets his fair share of criticism from the media, which is to be expected when he puts himself out there as often as he does. But Ryan recently told Newsday that people are going to look back and realize that he was a lot better than given credit for. Those are some strong words from Ryan, who hasn't been able to put wins on the board for the Jets in recent years.

Victor Cruz will sign his RFA tender and continue to negotiate long-term deal

The Giants and Victor Cruz are still working on a long-term extension, but the star wide receiver still wants to discuss a long-term contract with the team. The tender is worth $2.879 million for this season, a bargain price for a player that led the team in all major receiving categories last season.

Hall of Famer Lem Barney believes football will be gone in 10-20 years

Former Lions defensive back Lem Barney doesn't miss his playing days. Since he ended his career, he has learned that he suffered a number of concussions and has since discouraged his son and grandson from playing football. He believes the game is getting so violent that it won't even be around in 10 to 20 years.