Aaron Rodgers calls for Green Bay to sign former teammate

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers called for the Packers front office to re-sign linebacker Clay Matthews via social media. The free-agent linebacker was cut by the Los Angeles Rams last season, receiving his contract’s payment despite not playing. This season, Matthews has no current contract with an NFL team.

Aaron Rodgers calls for Packers to listen

Entering the 2021 NFL season there were major questions facing the future of Aaron Rodgers’ career with the Green Bay Packers. The day Packers training camp began many of those questions were answered by Rodgers himself as he aired his grievances with the team he had played his entire career with. One major point of contention was that Rodgers did not feel that the Packers were giving him the respect he had earned by including him in personnel decisions.

An early indicator that the Packers were making concessions was a trade made to bring wide receiver Randall Cobb back to the Packers locker room. They engineered a trade with the Houston Texans to receive Cobb that general manager Brian Gutekunst claimed was only looked at because of input from Rodgers.

Rodgers now seeks to use this newfound influence to pressure the Packers into signing their former linebacker Clay Matthews.

“BRING HIM BACK,” was all the caption from Rodgers read over a photograph of Matthews.

While it appeared to be as simple as Rodgers helping a teammate who is still looking for an NFL team to join, the circumstances surrounding the Packers organization brings new focus onto Rodgers’ words. Matthews was with Green Bay for ten seasons before signing with the Los Angeles Rams in free agency in 2019. At the time, Matthews stated he was shocked when the Packers told him they would not be re-signing him. According to Matthews, he was even prepared to take a pay cut if it would keep him with his team.

With Rodgers on public record with his frustrations at the way Green Bay has treated veteran players, it’s no surprise that would pressure his team via social media.

Clay Matthews potential impact

Matthews played for the Green Bay Packers from his rookie season in 2009 until 2018, joining the Los Angeles Rams in free agency.

In his ten year career with the Packers, Matthews made the Pro Bowl six times and was chosen to the NFL Top 100 list seven years in a row. In Green Bay he averaged over eight sacks a game, with 83.5 total. Despite his production dropping in the final years he played with the Packers, in his last NFL season played in 2019 he still reached 8.0 sacks with the Rams.

Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images