Broncos executive vice president of football operations/general manager John Elway, another Stanford graduate, said he actually changed his mind about McCaffrey’s decision after hearing about it initially.

“I understand it now,” Elway said at the combine. “When I thought about it, kind of the old-school in me wanted to come out saying, ‘Why would those guys not play? It’s their last game,’ this and that. But I tell you what, when you look at where the league is now and talk about the value of these contracts and these players coming out and the risk they’re taking, the old salty guy in me got flipped back to understanding.”

McCaffrey gained 3,864 yards in 2015, breaking Barry Sanders’ single-season record for all-purpose yardage. During the 2016 season, he suffered what he called a bruised hip and still led the nation with 2,327 all-purpose yards, including 1,603 rushing yards.

He said he has told teams he believes he can be an “every-down back.” He’s also said that when he lines wide in the formation, “I can be a receiver” as well as a team’s full-time returner.

When it came time for him to perform at the combine, McCaffrey excelled in most of the areas he participated in.

Christian McCaffrey didn’t fare well on the bench press, however, managing 10 repetitions of the 225-pound test.

That loss further raised the ire of those who think the Packers have wasted Rodgers’ prime by not getting to a second Super Bowl. But given McCarthy’s belief that Rodgers could do what Brady has done at his age, it would indicate that the coach thinks his quarterback is nowhere close to the beginning of a decline.

“Players reach their prime at certain stages, and I think there’s no question Aaron’s in his prime right now,” McCarthy said. “You definitely want to maximize that, but he is one of 53 and plays the most important position and makes a huge impact. I get all that.”

Rodgers got off to a slow start last season that had people around the league diagnosing what was wrong with the two-time NFL MVP.

“You had the middle stretch from Game 4 through probably [Game] 8 where we had a lot of challenges, but he played pretty damn good in that stretch, too,” McCarthy said. “We were going through an adjustment. We were running the ball early, Jordy [Nelson] was just getting back into things, and then we lose Eddie [Lacy]. We had a lot of things that were in flux.

“And then his numbers just went through the roof.”

Rodgers’ play during the Packers’ eight-game winning streak leading up to the game against the Falcons included 21 touchdowns and just one interception. His passer rating of 117.9 was second to only NFL MVP Matt Ryan (121.6) during that stretch.

Rodgers has begun to think about his longevity. He said it was one of the reasons he changed his diet last offseason. (Remember when he gave up cheese?) McCarthy said Rodgers is in the best shape of his career and remains dedicated to maintaining that.

“I can’t remember the last time he hasn’t been at a workout in the offseason,” McCarthy said.

Rodgers has been dogged by a few nagging muscle injuries (hamstring and calf strains) but played — and played well — through them and otherwise has been healthy since the broken collarbone of 2013, which was the last time he missed a game.

“I don’t; I still feel pretty young,” Rodgers said at the time. “I think I have a number of years left in me [where] I can play at a high level.”

What followed was his “all-in” remark that most took as a plea for general manager Ted Thompson to be more active in building a championship team. Thompson, for his part, said he didn’t interpret it that way, and McCarthy said he didn’t think there was any “hidden message” in Rodgers’ comment.

“I think it’s a statement of leadership,” McCarthy said. “He’s definitely at the point in his career where he knows how hard it is to get these opportunities, and I’m getting longer in the tooth, too. You only get so many attempts at the plate, and we all want to maximize it and we all have a responsibility to the organization to maximize these opportunities.”

NFL draft home page »

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• Mel Kiper Jr.: Top 10 by position »
• Pro day schedule for prospects »
• Underclassmen who have declared »
• NFL draft player rankings »

Remember, free-agent quarterbacks are “free” for a reason. True franchise quarterbacks hardly ever reach free agency.

Hoyer’s role is clearly defined, but he adds value in other areas, too.

Hoyer not only expressed enthusiasm for returning (with a chance to start) when he spoke to reporters the day after the season ended, he also signaled a willingness to mentor a young quarterback. Through all his NFL stops, Hoyer developed a reputation as a great teammate. There is every reason to believe Hoyer would be an excellent influence in the quarterbacks room, particularly in the scenario where he’s the starter to open 2017.

That’s important, because with the Bears set to pick near the top of each round in the upcoming draft, general manager Ryan Pace should invest in a rookie quarterback. That doesn’t mean Chicago reaches for a quarterback at No. 3 overall, but it’s reasonable to expect the Bears to address the position in Rounds 1-4. The problem with the 2017 quarterback draft class is that few, if any, of its members appear ready (on the surface) to start Week 1. There is always the chance Pace stumbles upon the next Dak Prescott, but history suggests that success is uncommon. If he does, great; that’s a problem the Bears would love to have.

The Bears would be thrilled to find their franchise quarterback in the next two months. But you can only work with what’s available. The Bears have to draft their way out of this quarterback mess, and that takes time.