There was plenty of talk before the Green Bay Packers preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers about the reunions of coaches and quarterbacks. Head coach Matt LaFleur would see his old quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, who was now playing under former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy. While the story was fun from a fan perspective, LaFleur was much more focused on the business of the game.
When asked about how he handled conversations with the quarterback who made three playoff runs in four years, LaFleur admitted that the two did not talk.
LaFleur was not happy to miss a chance to chat with Rodgers, but as he noted, the Packers winning was the first thing on his mind. So, he was locked into the preseason game and did not get a chance to speak with the franchise icon.
Green Bay Packers Head Coach Does Not Talk to Former Quarterback Aaron Rodgers
GettyAaron Rodgers #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers
LaFleur took over the Packers in 2019, and they were coming off of a 6-9-1 season with Rodgers and McCarthy. In the first year with LaFleur, the Packers went 13-3 and made it to the NFC Championship.
However, to the surprise of many, LaFleur and the Packers drafted Jordan Love in the first round the following season. It led to some controversy, but the Packers kept marching forward with LaFleur as head coach and Rodgers at quarterback.
Rodgers and LaFleur led the Packers to 13-3 and 13-4 seasons in the regular season in the two years after that. That included one more conference championship game and a divisional playoff run.
However, the Packers missed the playoffs in their fourth year together, and the team moved on from Rodgers after that.
So, while LaFleur and Rodgers are very tight and won together, LaFleur was there at the end of his career in Green Bay. This will be Love’s fourth season starting with LaFleur, which will match Rodgers.
LaFleur Spurns Rodgers For Second Time This Offseason
This is the second time this week that it could come off as LaFleur throwing Rodgers a cold shoulder. LaFleur said earlier this week that Love was the best that he had ever coached when it came to seeing things pre-snap. That caught a lot of attention because LaFleur coached one of the best quarterbacks of all-time.
LaFleur credited Rodgers for helping Love become so good in this area, but he made it clear he thought Love was better. Now, he came to Pittsburgh, where Rodgers plays, and did not seek him out for a conversation before or after the game.
When you combine this with LaFleur drafting Love the year after he arrived in Green Bay, you could argue that the Packers head coach is not as big a fan of the future Hall of Famer as some in the Green Bay area.
As long as LaFleur continues to win, none of this will matter. However, after Rodgers retires, it will be interesting to see what type of relationship he has with his head coach.
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