Return of Clements Could Foreshadow Return of Rodgers

Would the 68-year-old coach come out of retirement just so he can coach Jordan Love?

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Aaron Rodgers will like Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur’s hire as quarterbacks coach.

Perhaps he even signed off on it. Or suggested it.

The Packers are bringing back Tom Clements to replace new Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, according to Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson. It’s a move that could help persuade Rodgers to return to Green Bay. Then again, it’s a move that could signal Rodgers already has decided he wants to return to Green Bay and the only thing remaining is the signing of a new contract.

Clements was with the Packers from 2006 through 2016, as quarterbacks coach from 2006 through 2011, offensive coordinator from 2012 through 2014 and associate head coach from 2015 through 2016.

Clements was part of the Rodgers-led team that won the Super Bowl in 2010 as well as his MVP seasons in 2011 and 2014.

Rodgers held Clements in high regard throughout their time together. Even in 2021, Rodgers would bring up Clements unprompted during news conferences.

“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,” Rodgers said on Jan. 18.

During the victory over Minnesota on Jan. 2, Rodgers hit Davante Adams on the opening drive to get the offense rolling.

“I was looking at the first few plays of the game that Matt sends over my way before gameday,” Rodgers said. “I was looking at them this morning and this afternoon before the game. I thought that I wanted to kind of set the tone with Tae early on and throw him the ball on the second play of the game, regardless of the coverage. I usually don't do that. I learned from Tom Clements. We always had three mortal sins, the quarterback: Don’t throw late down the middle, don’t make any blind throws and no premeditated decisions. So, with all apologies to Tom and his excellent training over the years, I kind of had a premeditated decision to throw it to Davante on that play.”

Clements served as Arizona’s quarterbacks coach and passing-game coordinator in 2019 and 2020. After the 2020 season, Clements announced his retirement.

Now, he’s back in the game. Would LaFleur be interested in Clements if not for Rodgers? And would the 68-year-old come out of retirement to coach Jordan Love about the horrors of the 0-yard sack?

“The last thing I want, and this goes back to working with Tom Clements for so many years, is the 0-yard sack,” Rodgers said before the Cleveland game. “I mean that, of all the things I hate, and I hate turning the ball over, for sure, but probably nothing as much as I hate the 0-yard sack because that is strictly on the quarterback.”

Aaron Rodgers Wins Fourth NFL MVP

Here are 10 things you might not have known about Aaron Rodgers’ season.

One: Aaron Rodgers Becomes Only Four-Time MVP

With last year’s MVP, Rodgers joined four legends as three-time MVPs: running back Jim Brown (1957, 1958, 1965), quarterback Johnny Unitas (1959, 1964, 1967), quarterback Brett Favre (1995 through 1997) and quarterback Tom Brady (2007, 2010, 2017).

With his fourth MVP, Rodgers has broken from that pack and is alone in second place. Peyton Manning won a record five MVPs – four with Indianapolis (2003, 2004, 2008 and 2009) and one with Denver (2013).

For Manning and Brady, their first MVP and last MVP were separated by 10 years. Rodgers’ fourth MVP comes 10 years after his first.

Two: Rodgers’ Red-Hot Finish

Rodgers put his stamp on the MVP race with a sensational finishing stretch to the season. Despite laboring through a broken toe that curtailed his practice time, Rodgers ended the season with seven consecutive games of two-plus touchdown passes and zero interceptions. That’s the second-longest streak in NFL history. In 2010, Tom Brady did it in nine consecutive games. Rodgers threw 20 touchdown passes during his streak, which he’ll carry into next season. Brady threw 24 touchdown passes.

Three: Rodgers Showed He’s Valuable, Part 1

Being MVP doesn’t simply mean having the best stats. It’s that middle letter – the “V” for Valuable. The Packers were the second-most-impacted team by injuries this season, according to ManGamesLost.com. In terms of the value of the player and the amount of games missed, David Bakhtiari was the most important injury of the NFL season, Za’Darius Smith was second and Jaire Alexander was ninth. Rodgers’ play obviously was an important part of the team’s 13-win season.

Four: Rodgers Showed He’s Valuable, Part 2

In games started and finished by Rodgers, the Packers went 13-2. The Packers went 0-2 with Jordan Love starting against Kansas City and playing the second half at Detroit.

Five: MVP? Yes. Super Bowl? No.

Incredibly, being the Most Valuable Player of the NFL season doesn’t mean being the Most Valuable Player of the NFL postseason. No MVP has won the award in the same year he won the Super Bowl since Kurt Warner with the St. Louis Rams in 1999.

Six: Rodgers Leads Three Key Categories

Last season, Rodgers joined Steve Young as the only quarterbacks since 1940 to win the Percentage Triple Crown of completion percentage, touchdown percentage and interception percentage on the way to leading the league in passer rating. This season, Rodgers finished third in completion percentage but was first again in touchdown percentage, interception percentage and passer rating.

That feat has been accomplished only five times since 1960: Rodgers in 2020 and 2021, Tom Brady in 2010, Young in 1992 and Ken Anderson in 1981.

Seven: Efficiency, Not Volume, Gives Rodgers MVP Edge Over Brady

The MVP debate between Rodgers and Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is fascinating. Brady put up some absurd numbers in leading the NFL with 5,316 passing yards and 43 touchdowns. The Buccaneers also went 13-4.

Brady crushed Rodgers (and everyone else) by the numbers because he threw 47 passes more than any other quarterback and 188 more passes Rodgers. Give Rodgers the same number of attempts as Brady, and Rodgers would have thrown for 5,572 yards and 50 touchdowns and beaten Brady’s completions record with 494.

Eight: Don’t Pick on Rodgers

There have been 13 seasons in which a quarterback threw at least 400 passes and finished the season with an interception percentage of less than 1.0. Rodgers has five of those seasons, including 2021, when he led the NFL with an interception rate of 0.75 percent. Tom Brady (twice) is the only other quarterback with multiple seasons.

Rodgers has finished with an interception rate of less than 1.0 percent four consecutive seasons. No other quarterback has even done it in back-to-back seasons.

Nine: In Good Hands with Rodgers

Perhaps Rodgers needs to switch insurance companies and pitch for the one that talks about being in good hands. Not only did he lead the NFL with only four interceptions, but he didn’t lose a fumble, either. That gave Rodgers a league-low four turnovers. Seattle’s Russell Wilson, who missed three games due to injury, was a distant second with seven.

Turnovers have to be a part of any conversation about the Packers’ quarterbacking future. In 561 passing plays (531 attempts, 30 sacks), Rodgers had just those four turnovers. In 65 passing plays, Jordan Love also had four turnovers (three interceptions, one fumble).

Ten: Touchdown-to-Interception Ratio Champion

With 37 touchdowns vs. four interceptions, Rodgers threw 9.25 touchdown passes for every interception, more than double Kirk Cousins’ runner-up 4.71 (33 touchdowns, seven interceptions). That’s the seventh-best mark in NFL history. In NFL history, there have been 12 seasons in which a quarterback had a touchdown-to-interception ratio of at least 6.50. Rodgers has half of those seasons, including four in a row.

If there’s one stat you take from this, here it is: There have been six seasons in NFL history of 6.50 touchdowns per interception and 4,000-plus passing yards. Rodgers has all six.

Quote to Note

“There’s obviously a faction, based on the response when I tested positive, that want to demonize me for my decision to be unvaccinated. That’s the environment that we’re living in. There is not room for dissenting opinions or individual freedoms or people to have a different view. … I think the MVP should be about the most valuable player on the team. A lot of times it goes to the best player on the best team, and we’re the best team. So, if voters want to use the offseason or don’t like my stance being unvaccinated, that’s their prerogative. I don’t think it’s right, but that’s their prerogative.”