Last year, the Packers brought back quarterback coach Tom Clements at the apparent insistence of Aaron Rodgers. And Clements could be one of the major keys to getting the most out of Rodgers’s successor.
On Saturday, Packers coach Matt LaFleur credited Clements for helping Love get ready for his new status as the Green Bay starter.
“Just watching him last year, I think Jordan’s made some huge strides,” LeFleur told reporters via Brenna White of NFL.com. “I really do, and I think a lot of it is a credit to Tom, and just, he knows how to train these guys. He knows how to drill them and he’s very, very consistent. He doesn’t sugarcoat anything. He just is matter of fact and I think there’s no doubt.”
There’s no doubt Clements, whose time in Green Bay dates back to Brett Favre, returned to the Packers last year because of Rodgers.
“Aaron would praise him and give him so much credit in his own development,” LeFleur said. “I think anytime you got a player like that, especially of that talent and how much you respect a guy like Aaron, you always listen to that.”
So Clements returned because of Rodgers. And he’s staying to get Love off on the right foot.
“I asked Jordan after the season how he felt about him and he said he loved Tom, and thought he did a hell of a job helping him, you know, develop over the course of the year,” LaFleur said. “For me, it was a no-brainer. It was just whether or not Tom wanted to come back, so I’m happy he wanted to be here, and you know, we’re lucky to have him.
“He does a great job, too, not only with the quarterbacks but just helping out with our offense and bringing suggestions and great ideas. You know, it’s been a fun process getting to know him and just the standards that he holds, that room, too, and he does a hell of a job.”
And so it could be that a man the Packers brought back to placate Rodgers will be the man to help make the Packers look smart for turning the page when they did.