NASHVILLE Randall Cobb Jersey , Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans are doing their best to keep their core players together, and now wide receiver Rishard Matthews is the latest to receive a contract extension.

The Titans announced Tuesday they extended Matthews through 2019, a surprising move for a veteran who missed the offseason and has been on the physically unable to perform list this preseason.

“Rishard has had a lot of success since he’s been here,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “I think that’s the plan going forward with everybody. The guys that we think can help us win in the future and win now, we’d like to keep those guys around and extend them.”

Matthews signed with Tennessee in March 2016 after spending the first four seasons of his career with Miami. He’s had his best seasons since joining the Titans.

Since 2016, he has 118 catches for 1,740 yards and 13 touchdowns in Tennessee, and he ranks ninth in the NFL among receivers with at least 100 receptions averaging 14.7 yards per catch.

The receiver has 225 catches for 3 Tyquan Lewis Jersey ,136 yards and 21 touchdowns in his career. Matthews was heading into the final year and due $5 million under the contract he first signed with Tennessee.

Being out with an undisclosed injury meant Vrabel and his assistants had to gauge Matthews off tape of his past two seasons. Vrabel said they feel good about Matthews’ work and where he is at, hoping to see the receiver soon when he’s ready to go.

“He has been very professional with the walk-throughs and the meetings,” Vrabel said.

“Watching from behind the huddle and getting the call while trying to take the mental reps the best that he can and stay away from things. It’s a process, but I think he’s taken it in stride and he’s been a real pro.”

Aaron Rodgers sounds as if he's more worried about swimming with sharks than a new contract.

Starting training camp without an extension from the Green Bay Packers is not really that big a deal to the two-time NFL MVP.

"I've seen a lot of stuff you guys have either written or that's been written about it," Rodgers said Thursday. "I talk with my agent daily, so I'm aware of conversations. But I'm really not too worried about it."

He's under contract through the 2019 season, though NFL salaries continue to escalate. Star receiver Julio Jones showed up for Atlanta Falcons camp on Thursday after the sides reached agreement to renegotiate Jones' deal next year, avoiding a potential holdout.

Not Rodgers' style.

"I don't really operate like that. I have two years left on my deal Joel Iyiegbuniwe Jersey ," Rodgers said when asked if he could consider holding out to turn up pressure. "They're obviously more than willing to talk about an extension. There wasn't any animosity on either side."

Team president Mark Murphy is hopeful there will be an agreement, too, at some point.

"I don't want to put a timeframe on it, but I'm confident we'll work it out," Murphy said after the Packers' annual shareholders meeting on Wednesday night.

So there was Rodgers back to work for the first day of camp on Thursday. One of his first throws was a deep pass for receiver Randall Cobb, who was covered tightly by Kevin King. The cornerback went up and wrestled for the ball before appearing to come away with the pick.

"That wasn't an interception," Rodgers said.

So competitive, even in late July.

The quarterback fed his curiosity too when he appeared on an episode of the Discovery Channel show "Monster Tag " in which he put on scuba gear and dove into the Pacific Ocean to help tag a blue shark . It was a Shark Week special on the network Cheap Stacy McGee Jersey , in which scientists studied sharks and ways to help preserve the population.

It might be easier to stiff arm a linebacker.

"I'm a lot more scared in the water," Rodgers said.

Staying upright in the pocket seems as if it's a less stressful task. Protection could get a huge boost if 6-foot-5 veteran right tackle Bryan Bulaga remains on track to come back from a right ACL injury.

The right side of the line was in question in the offseason after Bulaga got hurt last season. He has progressed well enough to the point that coach Mike McCarthy hopes that Bulaga will be ready for Week 1, even if the tackle is starting camp on the physically unable to perform list as a precaution.

Getting Bulaga back would leave right guard as the only position up front for the Packers to find a new starter after Jahri Evans wasn't re-signed as a free agent.

"I'm optimistic about it, yeah," Bulaga said about targeting the season opener. "Yeah I'm disappointed that I started on PUP. Been a tough road rehabbing and getting back to this point ... but that's part of the process and I've got to keep going."

Notes: King, the team's top draft pick last year, also broke up a pass to Geronimo Allison on the next play after his interception. King played through a shoulder injury for much of last season before getting shut down in December. Healthy again, King displayed the type of talent that makes the Packers hopeful that they can improve in the secondary this season. "I made a couple plays where I got tangled up and had to go to the ground. I feel good Antwaun Woods Jersey ," King said. ... McCarthy said he also thinks veteran OLB Nick Perry (ankle) will be ready for the season opener after starting camp on the PUP list. ... OLB Clay Matthews may wear a visor on his helmet this season to help protect his surgically repaired nose. It got broken last month during a charity softball game after Matthews, who was pitching, was hit by a line drive by teammate Lucas Patrick. "So I ate it, walked off the field so as to not create mass hysteria, and proceeded to go through the route of surgery and all that fun stuff," Matthews said wryly in recounting the accident. "So two weeks I'll never get back thanks to Lucas Patrick over there."

This version corrects a typo to show that Matthews was hit by the line drive.

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