LaFleur Delivers Fitting Good-Bye to Rodgers

It’s easy to take the old guy for granted. But the Green Bay Packers as we know them would not exist without Aaron Rodgers’ prolonged excellence.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – On Monday, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst delivered a sharp retort to Aaron Rodgers’ stated “love (of) direct communication.”

On Tuesday, coach Matt LaFleur delivered a fitting good-bye filled with “love and appreciation.”

“Listen,” LaFleur told reporters at the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix. “I’m just going to throw it out there right away: First of all, I’ve got nothing but love and appreciation for what Aaron has done for so many in our organization. Obviously, have experienced a lot of great times together, won a lot of football games together. Ultimately, didn’t bring home a Super Bowl, which will always be disappointing.”

Then, LaFleur hit on the crux of the matter.

“He’s done so much for myself, my family, our coaches’ families, so many people within the organization, other players,” LaFleur continued. “A lot of people have been rewarded, quite frankly, because of his ability to go out there and play and play at such a high level.”

LaFleur is right.

It’s easy to fall in love with the new guy. It’s equally easy to get hung up on the warts of the old guy.

Did Rodgers fall short in too many key moments? Yes.

Did Rodgers extract maximum payment from a team desperate to get back in his good graces and, later, desperate for cap space? Yes.

Did Rodgers alienate some people with his stance on COVID? Did Rodgers frustrate the organization that paid him a king’s ransom by skipping the voluntary practices? Did he rub some people the wrong way with his weekly appearances on The Pat McAfee Show, his off-the-beaten-path beliefs and, yes, even his hair? All yes.

But with Rodgers about to be shipped to the New York Jets, just like Brett Favre, don’t forget all that he has done.

Rodgers ranks fifth all-time in touchdown passes. During his tenure, they won the most games in the NFC. He won four MVPs and kept the team in near-constant championship contention.

It’s more than that, though. Much more.

It’s what LaFleur said.

Would LaFleur be the fourth-longest-tenured coach in the NFC if not for Rodgers? Would he and Gutekunst be working under contract extensions?

Would Nathaniel Hackett have become the head coach of the Denver Broncos if not for Rodgers?

Would Luke Getsy have become the offensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears if not for Rodgers?

Would Mike McCarthy have lasted more than a decade if not for Rodgers?

Would Joe Philbin and Ben McAdoo have gotten head coaching opportunities if not for Rodgers?

Would a pantheon of front-office members have moved onto bigger and better opportunities if not for Rodgers?

Would Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling have earned free-agent paydays averaging $11 million and $10 million per year, respectively, if not for Rodgers?

Would Mark Murphy, who took over as team president late in 2007, remain on the job if not for Rodgers?

Would there be the 24/7 ATM that is Lambeau Field available to fund all sorts of facilities improvements if not for Rodgers?

Would there have been two successful stock sales if not for Rodgers?

Would the Packers – the smallest-market team in the NFL – rank regularly in the top 10 in the NFL in revenue if not for Rodgers?

Would those small-market Packers rank 24th in Forbes’ annual ranking of the most valuable sports teams in the world if not for Rodgers?

Packers fans are spoiled. That’s not a criticism. To go from Favre to Rodgers, a couple generations of Packers fans have no idea what it’s like to cheer for a losing team. No idea what it’s like to wake up on Sunday and hope the game is at least a little close in the fourth quarter. No idea what it’s like to start a season without real championship aspirations.

Jordan Love could be a legitimate NFL starting quarterback and still not be able to hold a candle to Rodgers. The New York Giants, for instance, just signed their quarterback, Daniel Jones, to a four-year contract worth $160 million. For what? Is he really good enough to get them to a Super Bowl? Maybe not but they’d really have no hope without him.

A new world awaits in Green Bay. It’s exciting to get rid of the weird old guy. And, honestly, the time is right to start a new future. But never – never – take Rodgers for granted. The Packers as we know them wouldn’t exist without his excellence.

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