The Green Bay Packers are expected to bring back former Packers coach Tom Clements, presumably in an effort to appeal to Aaron Rodgers.
Aaron Rodgers is widely presumed to leave the Green Bay Packers at some point this offseason, which is precisely what Aaron Rodgers wanted everyone to think with his cryptic 2021 NFL MVP award acceptance speech at the NFL Honors ceremony last Thursday.
It’s even rumored that deciding where to live was a factor in Rodgers’ recent split from fiancée Shailene Woodley, although it’s entirely possible that Woodley didn’t see a future in the small town of Green Bay, Wisconsin.
However, the rumors haven’t stopped the Packers from trying to keep Rodgers in Green Bay in another exhaustive campaign to accommodate his wishes. According to Pro Football Talk, the Packers are expected to hire former Packers coach Tom Clements, who worked extensively with Rodgers early in his career.
Packers expected to hire Tom Clements in effort to retain Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay
The move to recruit Clements is a surprising one, as the 68-year-old coach announced his retirement from the sidelines in 2021. Clements was a passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach with the Arizona Cardinals before retiring, working alongside Cliff Kingsbury in developing Kyler Murray in Glendale.
Before Arizona, Clements spent three decades coaching in the NFL, joining the Packers in 2006 as their quarterbacks coach. Clements worked with Rodgers during his Super Bowl season in 2010. In 2012, Clements became the Packers’ offensive coordinator, and in 2015, Clements became the assistant head coach for the next two seasons.
Coaxing Clements out of retirement might be enough to convince Rodgers to come back to Green Bay — for one more season, at least. But as time goes on and Rodgers drops more and more not-so-subtle hints, it’s difficult to imagine that even the nostalgic appeal of Clements will keep Rodgers up north for long.