There are few coaches who know the kind of player Aaron Rodgers is more than Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. After taking over as head coach in Green Bay in 2019, LaFleur helped Rodgers return to other-worldly form. Together, they led Green Bay to three playoff appearances, including back-to-back trips to the NFC Championship game in 2019 and 2020.
Rodgers also won back-to-back NFL MVP Awards in LaFleur’s system, which blended Rodgers’ own preferences with the head coach’s philosophy.
And then 2022 happened. The Packers and Rodgers struggled, missed the playoffs for the first time in LaFleur’s tenure, and “agreed” to part ways. It was not a clean divorce, but both parties seemed happier to have moved on.
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Unfortunately for Rodgers and his new team, the New York Jets, their season took an unexpected turn when Rodgers tore his Achilles on just his fourth play from scrimmage. On Wednesday, LaFleur spoke to reporters about the injury and how he knew is was bad from the moment it happened.
Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur Discusses Aaron Rodgers’ Injury
When speaking with reporters on Wednesday, LaFleur was asked for his thoughts regarding Rodgers’ injury. In response he said (via Matt Schneidman):
Matt LaFleur on Aaron Rodgers’ injury: pic.twitter.com/NPyzdWr837
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) September 13, 2023
“It’s tough. Never want to see anybody go through that. Thoughts are with him. I have so much respect for him, how tough he is, how competitive he is.
“I think anytime you have a player of his caliber not playing the game of football, it’s bad for our game.”
LaFleur stated that he knew it was a serious injury when Rodgers stayed sitting on the field. He knew that only something really bad would keep a competitor like Rodgers down.
When asked if he thought Rodgers would return to the Jets in 2024 or retire, LaFleur said:
“I believe somebody of his caliber, I would bet he would have no problem coming back from that.”
LaFleur knows a thing or two about Achilles injuries, as he tore his as well early in his time with the Packers. It sure would be interesting if Rodgers were to be able to come back from this injury. He will be 40 years old in December, and a torn Achilles has ended the careers of many an athlete younger than him.
But as LaFleur said, if anyone was going to do it, it’d be Rodgers.
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