Packers coach Matt LaFleur relationship changing with Aaron Rodgers following offseason
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has “never been closer” to quarterback Aaron Rodgers following a tumultuous offseason for the team, reported ESPN’s Jeff Darlington on Sunday. Rodgers had a public falling out with the Packers’ front office over the offseason that saw Rodgers potentially holding out from appearing at training camp.
LaFleur’s relationship with Aaron Rodgers, Packers
In a post shared by Darlington on social media, fans were given a little bit more hope that they haven’t seen the last of their star quarterback this season. LaFleur stated that Rodgers’ open and honest discussions about the team and what he wants personally have made the pair closer than they’ve ever been.
“Aaron Rodgers might have an icy relationship with the front office — but the coaches? Matt LaFleur tells me they’ve ‘never been closer’ after a lot of ‘honest conversations’ this year. Maybe I’m overthinking it, but I believe that vibe could go a long way for Packers this season.”
Yahoo’s Charles Robinson provided some additional context of his own to the report that LaFleur has a great relationship with Rodgers.
“There was nobody inside the Packers [organization] pulling harder for Aaron Rodgers last offseason than Matt LaFleur,” added Robinson.
LaFleur took over as Green Bay’s head coach in 2019 and has led Rodgers and the team to two straight 13-3 seasons. Both seasons ended with a loss in the NFC championship game.
Rodgers offseason troubles
Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst had been the subject of much controversy in the off-season. Aaron Rodgers had made it crystal clear to Packers management and his teammates that he did not like Gutekunst.
Tensions seemed to have cooled lately between the two, as Gutekunst recently told NFL.com the communication between he, LaFleur and Rodgers has been great.
“I’ve had really good conversations throughout camp with Aaron and Matt, and I think the communication has been really, really good,” Gutekunst told the media via NFL.com. “As we went into this kind of decision-making period, I think everybody — all the people that are kind of involved in that — were very aware of what was going on and why we were doing what we were doing. So, I feel really good about that. And the conversations that I’ve had with Aaron have been excellent.”
One of the key decisions that the Packers front office made that upset Rodgers was the release of his friend, current Buffalo Bills wide receiver Jake Kumerow. Green Bay beat writers have called this the “final straw” of damaging the relationship between the front office and Rodgers.
Kumerow was turning heads in Buffalo Bills training camp and made the 53-man roster.
Rodgers had this to say about Kumerow last September: “Jake Kumerow has been such a solid performer for us the last couple of years. I love his reliability. I think he’s a fantastic, steady player who’s very heady on and off the field.”
Kumerow would be cut the Packers very shortly after Rodgers declared him a lock for their roster.
On3’s Wade Peery contributed to this article.