It’s been announced that the Packers are bringing Tom Clements back to Green Bay. The 68-year-old served as the Packers’ quarterbacks coach from 2006-2017. He is credited with helping Aaron Rodgers develop into the four-time MVP that he is today. Clements is also said to be one of Rodgers’ closest trusted friends in the league. A lot of people think this hiring is a direct sign that Rodgers is returning. But could it be a panic move by the Green Bay Packers to try to convince #12 to stay?
Vegas odds change
Earlier on the same day the Packers announced they were hiring Tom Clements, Vegas updated their current odds for where Rodgers will play in 2022. Denver had been +700 but dropped to +100, meaning Vegas thought it was six times as likely Rodgers plays for Denver than they originally did. Vegas only makes money if they’re right. Do they know something we don’t?
Aaron Rodgers is (+100) to be the next quarterback of the Denver Broncos
(@BovadaOfficial) pic.twitter.com/DR4ehBMVfM
— PFF Bet (@PFF_Bet) February 17, 2022
Rodgers losing friends from the coaching staff
Throughout the season, Rodgers went out of his way to talk about Nathaniel Hackett (Denver’s new head coach) and Luke Getsy (Chicago’s new offensive coordinator). Those are two of Rodgers’ close friends who won’t be in the building next year for him to lean on. It wouldn’t be crazy that if Aaron felt like the Packers’ coaching staff was changing and his friends were leaving, Green Bay would try to counter by bringing back Clements.
Rodgers doesn’t want to be part of a rebuild
Aaron Rodgers has said publicly that he doesn’t want to be part of a rebuild. However, the Packers are rebuilding their coaching staff with first timers in big roles. This includes Offensive Coordinator (Adam Stenavich, formerly Offensive Line Coach), Offensive Line Coach (Luke Butkus, formerly Assistant Offensive Line Coach), Passing Game Coordinator (Jason Vrable, formerly Wide Receivers Coach), Assistant QB Coach (Connor Lewis, formerly Special Teams Assistant/Game Management Specialist), etc. And this is just on the offensive side.
The Packers are changing their coaching staff with a lot of guys in high positions for the first time. Green Bay could have seen it as a selling point to bring in a coach who has a lot of his experience in his position, especially a position that works so closely with Aaron Rodgers.
Was the Clements hiring a panic move?
Knowing that the Vegas odds had changed, that Rodgers doesn’t want to be part of a rebuilding franchise, and the fact that the Broncos (one of #12’s reportedly favored destinations) has hired coaches that he’s extremely high on, the Clements hiring could be a panic move to try to convince Rodgers to say in Green Bay. They may have figured bringing back his close friend Tom Clements might be enough to keep him, or perhaps Rodgers told the front office he wanted Clements. Maybe I’m reading into everything too much and jumping to conclusions. No one will know for sure until Rodgers makes his decision in the coming weeks. It’s been reported he will have an announcement by March 8th. We all must wait and see.
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