The guy spent all night getting chased around like Jeri Ryan at a Star Trek convention. And he’d been chased for a year by critics who, needing something to criticize, settled on the tag that he wasn’t good enough to lead a fourth-quarter comeback.
But there was Aaron Rodgers, with only 71 seconds left in the game, giving the NFL Films folks highlight material with a pinpoint 50-yard-TD pass that beat the Chicago Bears. They’re calling it a coming-of-age moment for Rodgers, a snapshot that’ll end up in his personal scrapbook years from now. And the Associated Press led off its postgame story with a resonating question: “Brett who?”
In a division that features Jay “Another Interception” Cutler and Brett Who, it’s Rodgers who looks like the best all-around quarterback. Not just for the future, but for the here-and-now present.
So maybe it’s official. Perhaps a whole lot of Packers fans owe General Manager Ted Thompson an apology. Preferably something superior to the retracted regrets of Kanye West or the detached PR schlock from Serena Williams (so bad that she had to practically apologize for the apology).
Yes, instead of remembering Thompson as the guy who let Brett Favre leave Green Bay, Pack fans should hail him as the guy who made sure Rodgers would stay.
Rodgers has always been the forgotten character in the Brett Favre soap opera, and understandably so. Favre is the future Hall of Famer and the man responsible for reviving a storied franchise. Rodgers was just another first-round draft pick with potential.
But while so many fans and media types concerned themselves with Favre’s legacy, Thompson had to think about Green Bay’s future. And overshadowed in the history of Favre’s exodus from Green Bay is this: What would’ve happened had the legend returned?
Back in the long-ago days of training camp 2008, Thompson faced a very real either/or decision. He could either have a couple more seasons (at most) of Favre, or he could have a decade of Aaron Rodgers. But he could not have both.
Had Thompson welcomed Favre back to the fold, he almost certainly would’ve lost Rodgers. The young quarterback had spent an entire summer prepping to be the starter while Favre was busy being retired. If the Packers had played yo-yo with Rodgers – promising him the starting job he’d patiently waited for, only to send him back to the bench – it’s hard to see Rodgers forgiving the franchise.
More likely, Rodgers would’ve requested an immediate trade, or simply left when his original contract expired after the 2009 season. With all deference to Favre, Rodgers had his own career to worry about. And it’s hard to impress people when you’re chained to a backup’s clipboard.
Moreover, the Packers had their own future concerns. They had to plan for life after Favre, and until they saw Rodgers play some actual games, how could they be certain that he was the right plan? It would’ve been awfully difficult for the conservative Packers to give Rodgers a serious contract extension when he was such an unknown quality. But you can see some other quarterback-starved team rolling the dice with him in free agency.
So 2008 was the line of demarcation. Thompson had to choose between the two. Favre or Rodgers? Past or Future? It was the Steve Young/Joe Montana debate all over again. San Francisco made the right call in the early 1990s, and Thompson has made the right call in Green Bay.
While Favre is famously playing out the string in Minnesota, Rodgers is just beginning what looks like a beautiful friendship with Green Bay. And Packers fans should witness the exceedingly rare occurrence of consecutive franchise quarterbacks.
It’s hard enough for a team to find one franchise quarterback, much less field two for back-to-back tenures. John Elway begat Brian Griese. Dan Marino gave way to Jay Fiedler. Troy Aikman passed the torch to Quincy Carter. Terry Bradshaw to Cliff Stoudt. Bart Starr to Scott Hunter. And so on, and so on.
Then there’s the 49ers, who were prescient enough to follow Montana with Young. And now the Packers can follow Favre with Rodgers.
No, Rodgers isn’t close to Young’s level yet, not after just 17 starts. But Rodgers clearly has the potential to get there someday.
And thanks to the courage of Thompson’s convictions, he’ll do so as a Packer.
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