Jermichael Finley Has Found Something In Retirement

You’re dying to know what former Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley has found in retirement, aren’t you?

It’s something he never had when he was active.

Self awareness.

The Journal Sentinel did an extensive profile of Finley and what a swell guy he’s become since leaving football.

It seems now that he’s had some time to reflect, Finley has come to some realizations.

“During the course of the NFL, (people) see me as a screw-up, a loudmouth, a guy that didn’t care what he said,” Finley explained. “But at the end of the day, they see after the game that I’m a guy that just really cared about the game. I’m a guy that embraced every second that I played in the NFL, and they see that now.”

We don’t know if they see all of that.

Maybe.

You’re 100 percent right about the first part, though.

Finley’s enduring legacy will be as a guy who just didn’t know when to stop talking.

Brain, filter, mouth.

Finley was missing that middle component during his playing days.

He just said whatever was on his mind, a lovely stew of verbal diarrhea. It landed him in hot water with fans, the media and his quarterback.

And it just kept happening.

Finley has also realized something about Rodgers, a guy he openly criticized when they played together and afterwards.

“It wasn’t good or bad,” Finley said of his relationship with Rodgers, “but I think it should have been different… I probably would have been a little more lenient to his needs being a star quarterback. You’ve got to go to him, not wait for him to come to you, because he’s touching the ball 100 percent of the time.

“I think I should have been in his back pocket a little more, which I’m preaching that about [Jared] Cook. If you ain’t in Aaron Rodgers’ back pocket like Jordy or (Randall) Cobb, you may not touch that pigskin.”

Ain’t that the truth.

We’re well aware that Rodgers is extremely selective with who he throws the football to, from the “earning of the trust” to the being in the “back pocket” as Finley suggests.

Let’s be honest. Rodgers throws the ball to guys who are talented, but who also do things exactly as he wants them done and kiss his ass a little.

Finley regularly failed in that last department.

It isn’t that Rodgers and Finley aren’t friendly now. They are.

The Packers could likely have gotten more from Finley if he had stroked Rodgers’ ego more often back in the day.

But that’s the thing about self awareness, isn’t it?

It’s a rare thing to possess when you’re young.