Introspective Rodgers Not Surprised About Strong Camp

Rodgers, seemingly as comfortable in Year 2 in LaFleur’s offense as he is with his unsettled future, has been in especially good spirits during training camp. Here's why.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The armchair quarterbacks figured Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers would try to run roughshod over his young coach, Matt LaFleur. They were wrong.

The armchair quarterbacks also wondered whether Rodgers would arrive at training camp feeling surly toward the organization for using a first-round pick on his potential successor rather than adding an instant-impact player. They were wrong about that, too.

Rodgers, seemingly as comfortable in Year 2 in LaFleur’s offense as he is with his unsettled future with the franchise he’s piloted since 2008, has been in especially good spirits during training camp. Recently, backup quarterback Tim Boyle said Rodgers has been in his “best mood” in their three years together.

There’s reason for that.

“I think, just like the 2011 offseason, the extra time was beneficial for those of us who chose to work on ourselves during that time,” Rodgers said on Wednesday. “And I think that was the important thing. I think the more we work on ourselves and we learn to love ourselves, the more we can love others better. And when you’re feeling good about yourself and confident and loving others, it’s naturally going to put you in a better mood.

“I think my quality of life has been pretty high based on some important decisions I’ve made in my own life. And just finding my center a little bit better during these strange months during the offseason. So, I came in excited to see the guys, excited to continue to build relationships with them and get to know them. I have a lot of close friends [including] ‘Big Dog’ (Marcedes Lewis) and Tim (Boyle) – on this squad, but I always enjoyed looking forward to seeing the guys and catching up and seeing how they’re doing.”

While Rodgers’ future could change abruptly if and when the team hands the offense to No. 1 pick Jordan Love, Rodgers is in total control of the here and now. So, rather than pout about the team’s apparent view of the future, Rodgers’ focus has been on the 2020 season. At age 36, he’s running out of time to win a second Super Bowl. Who knows what his future holds, but Green Bay remains his best chance at adding to his legacy.

“When you’re in a position that Aaron’s in, done so much and accomplished so much in his life and in this league – MVPs, Super Bowls – there’s no reason to be insecure or unsure of anything,” Lewis said recently. “Him and I have had conversations about it. We text about it all the time, Aaron is in control of his process. Nothing on the outside, all external influences don’t really matter. He’s very internally motivated. You don’t control what the front office controls, and your attitude and your effort are the two things you have complete control over when you wake up in the morning. And he does an amazing job of controlling those attributes and it spreads throughout the team and through the locker room. There’s really no bad blood nowhere. I think he’s understanding of what it’s going to take to get to where we want to go, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes.”

In what’s probably a related thought, Rodgers is having a strong training camp. He was sharp and decisive in Sunday’s scrimmage and appears to be pointed in the right direction for the season-opening game at Minnesota in 11 days.

Last week, Rodgers said he watched some 2010 film, which helped get him rolling at camp after a slow start in which he threw four interceptions in a span of three practices. But it’s more than just watching a fleeting piece of film. Rather, it appears Rodgers took advantage of the cancellation of offseason practices to take an intentional look at himself off and on the field. Last year, Rodgers finished 12th in passer rating (95.4), 21st in completion percentage (62.0) and 17th in yards per attempt (7.03). Those numbers were actually slightly worse than they were in 2018. So, while the Packers as a team enjoyed big-time success, Rodgers was statistically a mediocre quarterback.

“The other part was just taking a critical look at my play the last few years,” Rodgers continued, “and then going back to some previous years about what I felt like when I was playing really, really well, what was I doing slightly different than what I’ve been doing the last five years? And I picked up on some things and tried to start incorporating them into my daily routine and you pair that with a positive attitude and a comfort in the offense, it’s not surprising to me how camp has gone.”