The Green Bay Packers division clinching win Sunday night at Ford Field in Detroit should put an end to any and all questions regarding the leadership of quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
With his team down and practically out, sitting at a pathetic 4-6 just two short months ago, Rodgers made the statement that has now officially entered Green Bay Packers sound bite lore, right alongside and perhaps even bypassing “R-E-L-A-X.”
“I think we can run the table. I really think we can.”
When Aaron Rodgers put himself and his teammates on the line with this quote for the ages, I felt the team’s response would be a strong indication of how this Packers locker room views Rodgers as a teammate, leader and man.
Because to be honest, I wasn’t sure myself. Just because you’re a great player doesn’t mean your teammates are going to love you and rally around you. Coming into this year, I was starting to get the feeling that not only was it possible that Mike McCarthy had lost touch with the locker room, but that their star quarterback’s presence and demeanor wasn’t helping either.
Based on media portrayals painting a rather one-sided view of Rodgers as a leader or lack of leader, this situation Rodgers created felt like the perfect testing ground to determine what those men inside the locker room really think about No. 12.
And with the Packers 31-24 victory over division rival Detroit Sunday night, there should be no doubt. Aaron Rodgers is a motherfucking leader.
And who out there among us believed he was serious and that this team could actually pull it off?
Let’s be real… no one expected them to run the table, but none of that matters.
Thankfully, leadership has nothing to do with assholes like Skip Bayless, elitists like Colin Cowherd and ignorant morons like myself and the other guys who write for this site.
It doesn’t even have anything to do with what people say about someone’s leadership. Like Greg Jennings and Jermichael Finley, after the fact. They are serving an agenda, a personal agenda based on personal disappointment and regret.
And let’s face it… leadership can’t even be determined by what current teammates say because they know every comment they make could end up going viral. So any lip service paying tribute to strong leadership might be just that. Lip service.
Leadership can only be measured and determined in one way. By the actions of those being led and exposed to the leadership being offered.
What other barometer could there possibly be?
Ok…Now Rodgers is a leader?
Whichever way the wind is blowin huh boys?
Rodgers has been here since 2005, played full time since 2008. He’s not exactly new here.
You’re judging confirmation of Rodgers being a leader based on a media quip of running the table in 2016, because they did in fact, run the table. So because of that, that after all these years, finally confirms to you he’s a leader?
So …if they only won 5 of the last 6 games, do you still write an article about Rodgers being a leader?
Open up the gates everyone, here come all the johnny come lately Rodger fans “coming back” to tickle his ball sack yet again.
wait until next year when we don’t go 16-0, then we can get a re-hash of the article about rodgers not being a leader.
You may not have to wait that long. If the defense shits the bed in the playoffs. It’s probably because of Rodgers lack of leadership on the sideline.
See Cutler.
Well, I will say Rodgers did change down the stretch. If you watched and paid attention, he was getting more personable with players on the field, and was instilling confidence into them. And obviously the run the table comment. I think he responded very well to the criticism. Sometimes people develop qualities and mature at different times. You would be lying to yourself if you said Rodgers handled criticism well before, in fact I think he was fairly immature with that. But this time, he took it in stride, and I honestly think he improved himself. He was a man. Before I think that intangible is what separated Rodgers from Brady. Brady knew how to rally his team, motivate them. Rodgers didn’t, it was outside his comfort zone. Now I think Rodgers has developed that trait. The defense is awful, but I would not want to play this team right now. Like Jordy said, Rodgers has all the confidence in the world right now, and he is red hot.
Hey Kato, this piece started running long but I had some stuff in it originally about how we suddenly see Rodgers engaging with teammates on the sideline. However along with that also mentioned how TV producers have agendas and want to enhance existing storylines. So there might be a lot of cherry picking of B-roll footage that supports the agenda. Like for example Jay Cutler is known as a whiny little pus bag and so shots on the sideline rarely show anything but that. Same could be said about Rodgers. It’s difficult to know how much that is the producers agenda and actual reality. Previously had Rodgers never engaged his teammates much or has the agenda now changed and they’re now looking to enhance the storyline of his leadership? Maybe Rodgers has always been pretty active with teammates on the sidelines but the poor leadership agenda wouldn’t be furthered by showing that type of footage so it never gets shown.
That is a valid point. There are different types of leadership. It’s not that I didn’t think Rodgers didn’t have leadership skills at all. I think before, he was leading by example. Preparation for games, ect, that can rub off on teammates. Rodgers is also a guy that holds grudges, and can come off as aloof. He has mostly said the right things in interviews. But he has never been a rah rah guy. He has never had the emotion and the rally the troops kind of character that Brady possesses. I do think some of the leadership stuff was overblown. However I do think that has changed. Something has changed as an observer. This team has rallied behind him. That is just my observation.
I don’t see a big difference with Brady and Rodgers, or Peyton Manning for that matter. They all got pissed off. they all called out players on the field. What else do these 3 QB’s have in common, they are all in the conversation of the best QB’s in the history of the NFL. Maybe, just maybe, they know what they are doing.
If you want to hang your hat on disgruntled Greg Jennings and Finley’s statements, or even Donald Drivers statement, which he said was taken out of context, then knock yourself out. Plus, most people don’t even remember what he said without looking it up.
FYI…All Driver said was he didn’t think Rodgers should blame a receiver for screwing up, that he shouldn’t show up the receiver (on the field), even saying Rodgers should take responsibility for the receivers mistake.
I call bs on Drivers statement…just like Charles Woodson did. If your a MAN, on a NFL football field, and you make a mistake, then you fucking own it. You don’t ask a teammate to take the blame. If you want further confirmation on this, look up what Jordy Nelson has had to say about it and Rodgers.
Too many people act like, if Rodgers makes a mistake…..He should then be labeled by it for years, and if he doesn’t carry this team on his shoulders in a virtually mistake free MVP way. They feel free to disrespect and shit on him, and it pisses me off.
Most of these same people have not been Packer fans before Favre, and they are too spoiled to know any better. Just wait until Rodgers is gone, then all those fans can enjoy a QB who throws 24 tds, 19 interceptions and has a career 83 passer rating. Then 2 things will happen, they will finally realize how good we had it. Or they will just stop being a Packer fan all together.
I have no tolerance for part time Aaron Rodgers fans. that are mainly Packer (Rodger) fans when he’s performing ONLY at an MVP level….That’s not a Packer fan and i’m insulted they try to pretend they are.
Rodgers has conducted himself as a Professional as a Green Bay Packer, from the 1st day of the Favre drama, to present day.
So Rodgers finally became a leader in 2016?
I don’t even want to respond to this shit anymore.
Please do us all a favor and promise that.
Exactly, thank you Arcturus, you took the words right out of my mouth. PF4L you have been actually readable this year but man you got to let this whole ‘I was always on board but you werent so stop trying to get back on board’ thing. We get it, some here can be called fallible. Get over it.
I for one agree with Kato; it is entirely possible the challenges of this season, the boos, the for once strong critisism and scrutiny may have for the first time created the environment for growth for Rodgers as a team leader. To say its not possible he has changed and that he was always this way is your own opinion and not a fact. I have seen emotion in Rodgers and actions I have not seen in a long time. For example he did the belt on Sunday. I havent seen ‘The Belt’ in a very long time. Man it was good to see that and I cheered very loudly at the TV (Wife looked at me sideways). Rodgers also spent a lot of time standing on the sidelines watching the game. He is better known for sitting on the bench when the defense is on the field, not lately. I also noticed him sitting next to other players a lot this run. He usually spends his time on the sidelines by himself.
So yeah maybe the man has turned the corner and finally pulled into Bradys level of leader. I for one am re-embracing Aaron. I have always loved him as my QB and thought the world of him; however this year I believed that he deserved criticism and I stood by my belief that he is not above it. Cudos to him for rising above it.
Call me a band wagon jumper I dont give a shit. I was sitting on a frozen fucking bench in 1984 as the Packers played the Buccaneers in a half full stadium in 15 degree weather with my Dad watching 2 perennial losers play a horrible football game. I earned my stripes man.
Both of you do a nice job of whining. I apologize for hurting your feelings. Don’t like what i write, dry your fucking tears. don’t read my post, and go tell your problems to Jesus. He cares, i don’t.
What are we doing now, judging Rodgers demeanor on the sideline as if he were Jay Cutler? Is that what this has come to?
Rodgers play on the field isn’t just on him. Other factors actually go into it. this isn’t fucking golf. It’s a team sport. Try to follow me here, for the past 9 weeks……
1) Notice receivers getting open?
2) Notice we can run the football somewhat.
3) Notice the 0 line is blocking better?
Bitch about Rodgers all you want, last season no one got open, and the 0 line was at times absolutely horrible.
They don’t hand out MVP’s and Lombardi trophys for leadership ability on the sidelines, or sitting on a cold bench. They are earned with on the field performance. And that’s what Rodgers has done for us Packer fans through the years. So cry and bitch about Rodgers to your hearts content.
But if you do one thing, and one thing only. show Aaron Rodgers some fucking respect, because i’m pretty sure Rodgers…….HAS EARNED HIS STRIPES MAN.
I’m pretty sure didn’t earn those stripes……. sitting his fat ass on a cold bench.
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01/02/2017 at 11:35 am
Nothing changed about Rodgers. He has been consistently amazing. What has changes is that his receivers are finally getting open again. That’s all there is to it. Leadership is defined as hitting the open man with the pass. All the leadership abilities in the world wouldn’t be worth a pinch of shit if the receivers were not separating.
Jameis Winston seems like a good leader on his team. Drew Bree’s, Joe Flacco, Andrew Luck and Phillip Rivers also. Wasn’t Tim Tebow the NFL’s greatest leader?
All these leaders will be sitting on their couches watching some MVP caliber QB’s in the playoffs.
I thought nothing could overcome this defense. Rodgers and the offensive line have been able to prevail so far.
Rodgers made the run the table statement after the Redskins game, but I say by Rodgers actions he showed he was all in to his teammates during the Titans game.
Except for the two Hail Mary passes at the end of the games in Detroit and Arizona last year Rodgers tends to avoid throwing up a Hail Mary pass. There is always something that causes Rodgers to throw the ball away or run out of bounds. At the end of the first half this tendency has been the normal. We all know one of the reasons is Rodgers hatred for interceptions.
Against the Titans with the game totally out of hand in the first half, Rodgers did something at the end of the half that I do not believe he has done often, if ever. Rodgers just threw the ball up to the end zone. The ball was intercepted, but I think the team caught the message that Rodgers was not going to give up on the team, his teammates, or the season no matter the circumstances.
Agreed. Rodgers changed for the better. He made himself vulnerable, something that he refused to do before. I have never seen this team feed off him like it is now. This is like how the team fed off Charles Woodson.
Killer- also, fuck your Rodgers doesn’t deserve the pro bowl comment. He almost single handedly brought this team out of purgatory and has them in the playoffs, while accounting for 44 TDs. And is definitely in the thick of the MVP conversation. Sam Bradford….. HAH!
Nothing changed about Rodgers. He has been consistently amazing. What has changes is that his receivers are finally getting open again. That’s all there is to it. Leadership is defined as hitting the open man with the pass. All the leadership abilities in the world wouldn’t be worth a pinch of shit if the receivers were not separating.
Not to be a whine ass, but I’m so sick of hearing the phrase “run the table.” Maybe we should repeat it about 10000 more times for the sake of “awareness.” Glad they won six in a row but until they win the Super Bowl they haven’t run anything except a few regular season games against teams like the Bears, Vikings, and Lions. Four more to go. Where do they go from here?
Can’t see the forest for the trees, eh? Take a step back and pause cause you’re missing out.
Maybe in the future we should wait until the season is over before deciding to pass judgement. Nobody here believed they could run the table but everyone in that locker room did. Heck, most us wanted everyone fired (and most probably still do). But if you can’t acknowledge just how amazing the last 6 weeks have been then I don’t know why you watch Packer football.
I think what cheese was saying is….McCarthy has been here 12 seasons, he has a prolific HOF QB, actually had 2 of them. Get us to the Super Bowl more than once. I also think he’s trying to say….WIN SOMETHiNG, besides the weak NFC North.
“Division titles are important,” McCarthy said, “but I don’t lose any sleep over it. Because we have a bigger goal. We don’t hang divisional title banners around here. So, frankly, once you cross the threshold into the playoffs, it’s about getting to the final game and winning.
dicks mom…12 seasons…..if people can’t pass judgement yet…..then when?