Report: Packers Hire Aaron Rodgers' Favorite Tom Clements as QB Coach

The Packers continue to make moves that seem designed to persuade former Cal star Aaron Rodgers to stay in Green Bay for the 2022 season.

The Packers have coaxed Tom Clements out of retirement to return to the Packers as their quarterback coach, ESPN.com reported Friday. That is significant because Rodgers has been a fan of Clements, giving him credit for his development early in his NFL career.

Last week, the Packers hired one of Rodgers' former teammates at Cal, Byron Storer, as their assistant special teams coach.

Clements has not yet signed a contract to join the Packers’ staff, but has verbally agreed to become their quarterbacks coach, according to the ESPN.com report. Clements will replace Luke Getsy, who was hired as the Chicago Bears’ offensive coordinator last month.

Clements is 68 years old.

The addition of Clements does not guarantee that Rodgers will choose to stay with the Packers for at least one more season, but it could give him another reason to stay. Rodgers is expected to decide sometime in late February or early March whether he will retire from football, stay with the Packers or seek to join another team.

Rodgers joined the Packers in 2005, and did not become their starter until the 2008 season, spending his first three seasons as Brett Favre’s backup. Clements became Green Bay’s quarterbacks coach in Rodgers’ second NFL season, in 2006, and held that position through 2011. Clements then became the Packers’ offensive coordinator from 2012 through 2014, and was a Packers assistant head coach in 2015 and 2016. Rodgers won his first two MVP awards (2011 and 2014) and captured his only Super Bowl victory (2010 season) while Clements was his position coach.

Clements did not coach in 2017 and 2018 and was the Arizona Cardinals' quarterbacks coach and passing-game coordinator in 2019 and 2020. He did not coach in 2021.

Before the Packers’ playoff game against the 49ers this past season, Rodgers said this, according to ESPN.com:

"I'm thankful, deeply thankful, to guys like Joe Philbin and Tom Clements and Alex Van Pelt, who've helped me understand that facet of leadership and being a quarterback."

Cover photo of Tom Clements talking with Kyler Murray is by Rob Schumacher, The Republic via Imagn Content Services, LLC

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