Matt Flynn went to Seattle last year expecting to start, and lost his job to a rookie. Then he found a safe harbor in Oakland, and was immediately dubbed the worst starting quarterback in the league by ESPN’s Ron Jaworski.
But after watching others push through their own trials, Flynn said he’s better for the experience.
The Raiders starter said watching former Packers teammate Aaron Rodgers deal with the aftermath of the Brett Favre era was a valuable lesson for him.
“What Aaron went through was a circus,” Flynn said, via Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group. “There were all the questions from the media, people heckling him in the crowd. I don’t think anybody else could have handled it any better than he did.
“I spent eight or nine hours a day with him, and you’d never have known what he was going through. There was never any sign of frustration.”
That’s the same thing Rodgers saw from Flynn last year. After some success in spot duty in Green Bay, Flynn didn’t get much of a chance last year after Russell Wilson won the starting job.
“It was a tough situation in Seattle, but he’s got an opportunity in Oakland to do something great, and I’m really proud of him,” Rodgers said. “He’s got incredible physical and mental toughness,” Rodgers said. “He really understands the game and how to use his ability to get the ball to his teammates in good positions. He’s a gamer-type, and you’ve seen that when he’s gotten a chance to play.”
Flynn has a chance to play now, even if it’s not the best place to prove himself.