Aaron Rodgers isn’t mad. He’s just disappointed.
The Green Bay Packers quarterback has been making the media rounds today, with his most notable appearance coming on ESPN’s morning radio show with Mike Golic and Trey Wingo. That’s where Rodgers expressed a clear sense of disappointment with a change in the coaching staff that has a direct impact on him.
“My quarterback coach didn’t get retained. I thought that was an interesting change — really without consulting me,” Rodgers said, via Jason Wilde of ESPN Wisconsin. “There’s a close connection between quarterback and quarterback coach. And that was an interesting decision.”
Alex Van Pelt was the Packers’ quarterbacks coach since 2014. I say was because Green Bay did not bring him back into the fold for 2018, and apparently did so without reaching out to the team’s best player. So much for communication.
Head Coach Mike McCarthy addressed the situation early in the offseason and told reporters the decision was a mutual parting of ways and that Van Pelt was “pursuing other opportunities.” Van Pelt has since moved on to the Cincinnati Bengals where he will be Andy Dalton’s position coach. Green Bay hired Frank Cignetti as Van Pelt’s replacement.
The 2018 offseason has been one with many changes for the Packers’ organization. The team removed Ted Thompson from his role as GM and retained Brian Gutekunst to replace Thompson, but lost high-ranking executive Eliot Wolf to the Browns. McCarthy’s job was spared, but the team reshuffled his assistants on both sides of the ball – including the hiring of Defensive Coordinator Mike Pettine to replace Dom Capers after possibly balking at Vic Fangio’s asking price.
I suppose that was bound to happen after a 7-9 season exposed a lot of flaws that had previously been covered up by Rodgers’ excellence. Still, Rodgers was clearly dismayed by the move to part ways with a coach he clearly enjoyed working with in Green Bay.
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