Green Bay, Wes – Tom Clements, one of the coaches Aaron Rodgers He has long been credited with his development during his early days in the NFL, coming out of retirement to return to the Packers as a quarterback coach.
A source told ESPN that Clements orally accepted the job on Thursday. The contract has yet to be signed, but that is expected to be a formality.
While there is an obvious link with Rodgers, a source said that Clements’ arrival does not guarantee the return of the NFL MVP to the Packers, but rather is another move the Packers hope will persuade Rodgers to return.
Clements was with the Packers from 2006 to 2016. He was most recently a coach for the Arizona Cardinals, but retired after the 2020 season. He did not coach between the end of his tenure with the Packers and joining the Cardinals in 2019 and also did not coach this past season.
The 68-year-old served as one of Rodgers’ No. 1 coaches in the NFL. He came to Green Bay in Rodgers’ second season, when Mike McCarthy was hired as coach. Clements coached the position from 2006 to 2011, presiding over Rodgers’ 2010 Super Bowl season and his first MVP season in 2011. He became offensive coordinator in 2012. When McCarthy gave up playing in 2015, he handed the job to Clements and named it His name is Assistant Technical Director. However, McCarthy regained playcall assignments later that season. Clements remained on the cast for another season.
Although it’s been more than five years since he worked with Clements, Rodgers still brings Clements regularly when he talks about the keys to playing the position. It happened as recently as January during the week before the Packers playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers.
“I am grateful, very grateful, to people like Joe Philbin, Tom Clements and Alex Van Pelt, who have helped me understand this aspect of leadership and being a quarterback,” Rodgers said last month. He also referred to Clements late in the regular season when he talked about a ball he threw Davant Adams Early in the week 17 match against the Vikings.
“I learned from Tom Clements, that we have always had three deadly sins [as] Don’t throw in the middle of the field late, don’t make any blind throws, and don’t make premeditated decisions,” Rodgers said. And so with all the apologies to Tom and his excellent training over the years, I kind of had a premeditated decision to throw it to Davante for that play.”
News of the Packers’ interest in Clements was first reported by the professional football network before an agreement was reached.
Clements will replace Luke Jetsie, who was appointed as Beers’ offensive coordinator last month.
Clements is the second coach appointed off-season with Rodgers. Last week, they hired one of their former college teammates at Cal, Byron Storer, as an assistant coach for special teams. But Storer has more ties to new special teams coordinator Rich Bisachia than Rodgers. Storer served in the same capacity under Bisaccia for the last four seasons with the Raiders.
As of Thursday, Rodgers had not informed the Packers of his plans for the 2022 season – whether returning to Green Bay, seeking a trade or retiring – a source said.
When asked last week what he still had to think about before making a decision, Rodgers said, “It’s kind of about assessing where I’m mentally fit and understanding what commitment is, what kind of commitment and everyone is moving forward.”
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