It used to be easy to find Jermichael Finley, primarily by having working ears.
But the Packers tight end has taken a different approach to this offseason, becoming intentionally boring after years of talking his way into unwanted attention.
According to Jason Wilde of ESPNWiscon, Finley offered up a whole bunch of nothing during an eight-minute group interview Wednesday.
Specifically, Finley said he was just playing football (at least 11 times), doing things the right way (five), doing what he was supposed to (three), getting better every day (three) and everything will take care of itself (four).
Afterward, he said it was deliberate.
“It’s more knowing your position and knowing where you’re at. I wasn’t doing it wrong [before], but there’s a way to go about it,” Finley said. “This is what you do for a living. Right now, I’m on a pedestal, so everything I say, . . . I just want to do everything the right way, just squash out everything.
“You live and learn. But at the same time, it’s all about doing things the right way, and that’s what I’m about right now. The football field comes easy. That’s no problem. It’s doing things the right way and how my image is in the public.
“I would say (the way I was before) wasn’t making me comfortable. . . . So why not just do it the right way? I’ve got a career that took off on path that, I mean, I didn’t know being outspoken was going to put me on. Anything I say is big-time, so it’s weird to me. But if you play football, everything else will take care of itself.”
Even coach Mike McCarthy joked that of all the things he liked about Finley in camp: “He’s not in the media every day. That’s a good thing.”
Finley’s also in the final year of his contract, so he has economic incentive to behave.
And if he lets his play speak for itself, everything should work out.