INDIANAPOLIS — Matt LaFleur will not blow up Aaron Rodgers’ telephone with calls, texts, emojis and GIFs telling his quarterback how a lot the Inexperienced Bay Packers need him again for one more season.
LaFleur is aware of Rodgers has lots to ponder.
However the Packers’ coach additionally needs to maintain the traces of communication open whereas Rodgers goes by his decision-making course of.
“I advised him, I do not wanna be overbearing and inform him day by day how a lot we love him and the way a lot we would like him again,” LaFleur mentioned Wednesday on the NFL scouting mix at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. “So that you simply wanna be respectful of his house and permit him to suppose by every part clearly with out being annoying, I suppose.”
Nonetheless, LaFleur made it clear how concerned Rodgers was within the hiring of his new quarterbacks coach after Luke Getsy left to change into the Chicago Bears offensive coordinator. It was no coincidence that LaFleur lured Tom Clements, one in all Rodgers’ unique coaches within the NFL, out of retirement.
“He had a major position,” LaFleur mentioned when requested what half Rodgers performed within the rent.
“I’d say that by way of simply our conversations during the last couple years and the way a lot he credit Tom for his growth, it was very intriguing after we had a chance.”
But LaFleur wasn’t prepared to make the connection that Clements’ return meant a Rodgers’ return was imminent regardless that these acquainted with the method do not imagine Clements, 68, got here out of retirement to educate Jordan Love.
“Properly, I do not wish to get into these conversations an excessive amount of, however actually when you may have a participant of that caliber, as necessary as he is been to this group, after which when he credit and provides someone like that a lot reward, to me you would be silly to not hearken to that,” LaFleur mentioned. “In order that’s why I wished to go sit down with Tom, and he is a really spectacular man.”
LaFleur had by no means earlier than labored with Clements, who was on earlier coach Mike McCarthy’s employees from 2006 to 2016, and the 2 had by no means spoken earlier than they met over lunch in Los Angeles throughout Tremendous Bowl week.
“I believe we interviewed one another to some stage, however simply the conversations we had, it is fairly straightforward for me to see why he’s such an excellent quarterbacks coach and developer and such an excellent communicator,” LaFleur mentioned. “He is bought such an excellent even-keel demeanor and simply actually excited to take a seat in a room with him and begin to undergo our course of, actually consider every part that we have performed, or performed on movie and study from him, as a result of I do know he is been teaching this sport lots longer than I’ve. So, I simply suppose his skill to develop quarterbacks irrespective of who’s within the room goes to be very useful to the Inexperienced Bay Packer group.”
LaFleur’s feedback got here a day after Packers basic supervisor Brian Gutekunst advised reporters on the NFL scouting mix that he has not fielded any commerce presents for Rodgers and that he believes the two-time reigning NFL MVP will decide earlier than free company opens on March 16.
Rodgers mentioned final week throughout an look on the “Pat McAfee Present” that he had “a number of extra issues to ponder however it will not be lengthy” earlier than he decides whether or not to play in 2022 and in that case, if it is for the Packers.
“You at all times wish to be respectful,” LaFleur mentioned. “I do know it is lots to tackle, he is bought lots to consider, and positively I am ensuring that I am persistently speaking with him but in addition wish to be respectful of his time and the method that he has to undergo.”