Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers' QB factory
By Bucky Brooks
FOX Sports NFL Analyst
In a quarterback-driven league, the Green Bay Packers have been consistent title contenders due to 30 years of stability at the game's most important position.
After all, how many franchises can transition from one Hall of Fame quarterback to a future Hall of Famer? Green Bay has done it by utilizing a homegrown process that also helped to transform developmental QB prospects into all-stars.
The Packers are the only NFL franchise to qualify for that distinction, and executives around the league would be wise to steal a few tips from a quarterback factory that continues to add league MVP awards to the team's mantle.
While some observers have suggested that the Packers have underachieved, with just two Super Bowl wins during a magical run in which Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers have manned the quarterback spot over the past three decades, the Patriots are the only team to surpass Green Bay's total in that span.
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Bucky Brooks provides three reasons 38-year-old Aaron Rodgers might be on the verge of winning back-to-back MVP awards.
Against the Browns on Christmas at Lambeau Field (4:30 p.m. ET on FOX), Rodgers needs just one touchdown pass to move past Favre and become the franchise's all-time leader. The Packers have already secured their 22nd playoff berth and 15th division title since 1992. The team has reached the NFC Championship Game nine times in that span.
With a few lucky breaks and fortuitous bounces, the Packers could have had a dynasty that would have made their quarterback development plan the blueprint for the rest of the league.
During my time with the Packers in the mid-1990s, I watched how Ron Wolf and Mike Holmgren helped Favre develop into a three-time MVP after he was labeled a draft bust prior to his arrival in Green Bay via trade from the Falcons. The team not only built an offense around the eventual Hall of Fame quarterback that allowed him to flourish but also devoted countless hours to his professional development during the offseason.
The team would conduct a "quarterback school" to help Favre and his fellow QBs master the offensive scheme while refining their footwork and fundamentals. Back in those days, there were not as many restrictions on the time coaches could spend with their players. Holmgren and his coaching staff would require the quarterbacks to report a month or so earlier than the rest of the squad to give them enough one-on-one or small-group instruction to fully develop their games.
Former NFL head coach and Packers assistant Steve Mariucci recently told me that the Green Bay coaches would break down every offensive snap with the quarterbacks to help them understand the nuances of the scheme while giving them detailed instruction on the field to polish their fundamentals. He said the extra sessions not only helped young QBs improve but also enabled the coaching staff to clean up any issues that might have plagued veteran signal-callers in previous seasons.
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Aaron Rodgers threw for three touchdowns and tied Brett Favre's TD record as a Packer in Green Bay's 31-30 victory at Baltimore.
As a critical part of a quarterback development plan, the team also drafted young QBs every few years. Everyone knows about Favre and Rodgers, but you might have forgotten that the Packers drafted and nurtured Mark Brunell, Aaron Brooks and Matt Hasselbeck before trading them for valuable draft picks.
The franchise’s commitment to drafting and developing quarterbacks was part of an organizational philosophy created by Wolf to ensure the team always had a QB1 of the future in the bullpen.
That's why Ted Thompson refused to let Rodgers slip past the Packers in the 2005 draft, despite having Favre in the fold. And it is also the reason current Packers GM Brian Gutekunst made an aggressive trade to land Jordan Love in the 2020 draft. The quarterback is unquestionably the most important and impactful position on the roster, and the Packers want to make sure that a future franchise QB option is always on their roster.
Moreover, they do not mind creating a little competition at the position to ensure that veterans stay on top of their games. While that has created some messy situations with the established QB1 — as evidenced by the rocky relationship between Favre and Rodgers years ago and Rodgers' frustration when the team drafted Love — the presence of a young QB can bring out the best in an ultra-competitive athlete attempting to retain his status as the franchise player.
For instance, prior to the team's drafting Love, Rodgers was in the midst of a three-year slide, in which his completion rate and passer rating had declined each season. With the veteran’s age, production and injury history creating some concern for the front office, the Love selection was an insurance policy against Rodgers’ decline.
Although we do not know if Love is good enough to be Rodgers' successor, there is no doubt that the move lit a fire under the veteran that helped him get back to an MVP level of play. Last season at age 37, Rodgers set career highs in completion percentage (70.7%) and passing touchdowns (48), and his 121.5 passer rating nearly eclipsed his career best of 122.5 set in 2011.
His sensational performance put a pause on the Packers’ succession plan and enabled the team to continue to build around an aging quarterback with a game still good enough to compete at a championship level.
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Aaron Rodgers talks about tying Brett Favre's TD record as a Packer. "It has been a special run for me to be able to follow up a legend," he says.
That said, Rodgers has certainly been aided by the arrival of coach Matt LaFleur and a system that made the game easier for the quarterback. From the increased utilization of a power running game to the implementation of a diverse play-action passing game while retaining some of Rodgers’ pet plays, the Packers’ scheme enables the veteran to operate efficiently without putting too much on his plate.
Green Bay has alleviated some pressure on Rodgers by surrounding him with a solid supporting cast. Despite the annual outrage when the team fails to select a pass-catcher or playmaker in the first round of the draft, the Packers have a rock-solid set of wideouts around No. 12, including the best receiver in football in Davante Adams.
The All-Pro receiver is an unstoppable force on the perimeter, and his synergy with Rodgers is on another level. The duo has a telepathic connection that enables them to freelance within the system without violating the principles of the route concept.
While Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard are not household names, they have developed into solid role players. They work well within an offense that features a variety of pre-snap motions and shifts that disguise a quick-rhythm passing game built on quick routes and crossing patterns that come open in nanoseconds.
With the Packers also incorporating a downhill running attack featuring Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon, the team utilizes a balanced approach to control the game while setting up big-play chances on play-action passes. The creativity and diversity of the Packers’ offense enable Rodgers to put up big numbers without working as hard for his production.
The process is a masterclass in efficiency. Considering how well the Packers have developed Favre, Rodgers and several other QBs, it might be time for rival executives and coaches to pay closer attention to the quarterback factory in Green Bay.
Bucky Brooks is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports and regularly appears on "Speak For Yourself." He also breaks down the game for NFL Network and is a cohost of the "Moving the Sticks" podcast.