Randall Cobb is back in the Green and Gold! The fan-favorite wide receiver just re-signed with the Packers after two seasons with Dallas and Houston. Following his first day of practice, Cobb spoke with the media. Here’s 11 things we learned from his press conference.
1) Cobb didn’t particularly enjoy his time with the Texans.
“I can breathe again. I’ve seen the other side,” Cobb said when asked what it’s like to have the stability and chance to win a championship that his year in Houston didn’t provide. With a smile and a shrug, Cobb revealed, “It’s funny. My teammates said ‘You act like you just got out of prison,’ and I said ‘Well, you know.'”
2) Cobb is excited to be back in Green Bay.
Packers fans know all too well the heart-wrenching picture of Cobb and Aaron Rodgers at the end of Cobb’s last game at Lambeau Field. When asked about the contrast between the moment in that picture and now, Cobb said, “You see a smile on my face; I don’t have tears. I had tears yesterday… Whenever I got in the car and headed to the airport I think it really sunk in for me then. And I just broke down. My wife was sitting there with me; she was crying, too. I think she’s more excited than I am to be back. We love this place. We love this city. It’s a special place; it’ll always be a special place to me.”
3) He and Rodgers both seriously considered retirement.
Cobb revealed that he never believed Aaron Rodgers would leave his teammates hanging, but added, “I think the only thing that could have been different was him retiring. I think that was a real thing.” He admitted that he and Rodgers had talked about the possibility of retirement together. However, they both decided not to retire, citing how much love they still have for the game.
4) He wishes his home hadn’t sold.
If Cobb had the option, he would move back into the house he left when he headed to Texas. When a reporter asked for confirmation that his original house had sold, Cobb responded, “It did. Unfortunately. Hindsight, I would’ve kept it.” He added that his family will be back in Green Bay as quickly as possible.
5) He doesn’t believe he’s the reason Aaron Rodgers is back.
When asked if he felt he was the reason Rodgers returned to Green Bay after a messy offseason, Cobb said no. He also added that it would be “way too egotistical” for him to think that. However, bringing Cobb back to Green Bay was an attempt by the Packers’ front office to appease Rodgers. GM Brian Gutekunst was asked if bringing in Cobb was a decision made to primarily make Rodgers happy. Gutekunst responded saying, “I think that’s a big part of it. Obviously without Aaron I don’t think we’d probably be pursuing that… this was a very important thing for Aaron, and that’s why we did it.”
Gutekunst also added that he believes Cobb is still a very good player that will have an impact on the locker room. When asked how he felt about Gutekunst’s answer about why he’s back in Green Bay, Cobb said he’s just focused on winning a championship and nothing else matters.
6) Cobb wasn’t fully ready for his first practice back.
“I’m just getting acclimated. I got off the plane at 5 p.m. yesterday. Today, I was wearing somebody else’s helmet, I was in somebody else’s cleats,” Cobb admitted with a smile. “My stuff hasn’t gotten here yet. It’s definitely a little different. That’s part of it and we’ll get it figured out, and we’ll be ready to roll.”
7) He’s excited to be able to mentor Amari Rodgers.
“I hope that I can be what Greg Jennings and Donald Driver and those guys were for me,” Cobb said. “I’m going to give him every tool that was given to me.” In addition, he said he’s not worried about splitting snaps with Rodgers. Cobb has known Amari Rodgers since Rodgers was in middle school.
8) Cobb was awoken from a nap when he realized coming home was a serious possibility.
Cobb was asked when he found out that he could actually be going back to Green Bay. He said that he was napping when he got a call from a reporter asking about Trey Wingo’s tweet that sparked talk of Cobb’s return. Cobb hadn’t seen the tweet, but said his agent called soon after. At that time, Cobb recalls everything setting in, thinking, “Wow, this might actually happen.”
Hearing Rodgers coming back to GB hinging on trading for former teammate Randall Cobb . If Cobb is in Green Bay it looks like Rodgers will be too
— trey wingo (@wingoz) July 26, 2021
9) He realizes football is a business.
In Aaron Rodgers’s press conference Monday afternoon, he expressed his disappointment with how the organization let veteran players go. Rodgers believed the way these players were treated on the way out was disrespectful. He named several past teammates he believed had fallen victim to this perceived disrespect, Cobb being one of them. When Cobb was asked if the way he was let go out of Green Bay left him with any hurt feelings, he responded saying, “It’s a business… I understand the whole process of it… It is what it is.” In addition, Cobb added that when he’s done playing football, he would consider getting into the business side of the game.
10) Cobb might return punts again for the Packers.
“We’ll see,” Cobb said, when asked if returning punts for Green Bay was in his future. “We talked about that after practice, getting back there and catching some punts.” Cobb’s first career kick return for a touchdown came in week 1 of his rookie season in a game against New Orleans. The Packers are scheduled to take on the Saints in week 1 of the 2021 season. Let’s hope Cobb’s return brings similar results on special teams!
11) He’s ready to go!
“A lot,” was Cobb’s response to the last question of this press conference: What’s left in the tank? Packer nation is happy to hear that! Welcome home, Randall!
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