Aaron Rodgers Unravels How Packers’ QB Coach Tom Clements Helped Him Win Multiple MVPs

Aaron Rodgers attached love to greatness since childhood. He thought he deserved to be loved only when he achieved something great. To make his dad proud and be loved, little Rodgers always strived for greatness in every sport he chose to play. He carried the same mentality to his NFL career in the beginning. When he joined the Green Bay Packers, he met Tom Clements for the first time. A-Rod was lucky that Clements did not choose to continue his career in law.

Tom Clements had been with Aaron Rodgers from the time when he was a raw prospect. After A-Rod’s father, he next wanted to get praised by Clements, “I wanted nothing more than to make Tom Clements happy.” The 4x MVP QB has admitted this several times over his career. But this time, in a recent interview on ‘icanfkypod’ podcast, A-Rod revealed how Clements’ rigorous coaching style helped him achieve his zenith. Despite his current team affiliation with the New York Jets, Rodgers remains grateful to Coach Tom Clements for the important role he played in his development.

While discussing the origin of perfectionism in A-Rod, he expressed Clements’ impact on that trait. During his initial days in the Green Bay camp, he was not happy with how the offense made the defense look, but he was just happy to get fist bumps from the QB coach. Moreover, even though he had great games, Clements’ would point out the misses. A-Rod said, “Tom Clements, my quarterback coach for much of my career, especially my young career in Green Bay, would down, would grade me as hard as anybody’s ever graded me.”

Because Clements was his critique, this made Rodgers accountable for more than just the stat sheet. It was all about the fundamentals, footwork, and decision-making skills that carved him to be what he is today. While Clement was the former Green Bay QB coach, he was named twice as the league’s MVP in 2011 and 2014 and he also became the 1st QB in the history of the NFL to register a 100+ rating in 6 consecutive seasons from 2009 to 2014. Additionally, Rodgers was chosen for the Pro Bowl six times (2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2016).

Rodgers continued. “I had some great games, I thought, and I’d come back and I’d get like an 80% grade because he pushed me to a different level of greatness, a different level of perfection.” Despite achieving notable successes on the field, Rodgers expressed a desire to earn Clements’ approval and achieve the elusive top grade of 99. “In some ways, I wanted to make him proud,” Rodgers admitted. The 40-year-old further remarked, “He held me to a standard that I maybe didn’t even know that I could hold myself to.”

Though Clements retired after 2016, his coaching pointers became muscle memory of A-Rod. He won 2 more MVPs in 2020 and 2021. Rodgers expressed in another interview a few years ago how he still functions on Clement’s methods and said, “… We always had three mortal sins [as] the quarterback: Don’t throw late down the middle, don’t make any blind throws and no premeditated decisions…”

Clements spent 2 years (2019-2020) in the Arizona Cardinals as passing-game coordinator/QB coach and retired again. However, in 2022, Clements was called back to join forces with the Green Bay Packers. It did not feel like a strange new environment because most of them had already worked with him and it was extra special for Aaron Rodgers to be united with him because he was one of his “special coaches.”

Even the QB coach was delighted to be back with the team. During one of the press conferences, Clements highlighted how A-Rod had excelled in the sport and expressed how he didn’t necessarily have to coach him but bring in a different approach. Clements said, “It’s more of a collaboration because he’s very intelligent. He has a lot of experience. It’s always good, though, to have another person just look at it and say, ‘Here’s what I see.’ Then, he considers it and if it makes sense, he’ll try to do it. If it doesn’t, he’s going to lean on what has gotten him to this point.”

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Clements holds the special feat of being the only person who has directly coached 3 generations of Green Bay QBs- Brett Favre (2006-2007), Aaron Rodgers (2008-2016), and Jordan Love (2023-).

However, the quarterback coach was a QB himself for 12 seasons in the Canadian Football League. It was the same time when he was attending a part-time law school. During the late 70s and early 80s, he was a 7x divisional all-star and even played in the CFL and was a 2x Grey Cup champion (1976 and 1984). In 1980, he even got a chance to play with the Kansas City Chiefs in one game and completed 7 of 12 passes for 77 yards, but they lost to the San Diego Chargers. Clements was also awarded the league MVP in 1987. After completing his law degree from Notre Dame in 1986, he worked at a law firm in Chicago for 4 years. He soon was bored with the corporate law job and took up coaching.

Clements started his new role with the New Orleans Saints team (1997-99), then coached the Kansas City Chiefs for the 2020 season, and moved to the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2001 to 2003 and his second last stop was with the Buffalo Bills (2004-05). In 2006, he landed in Green Bay with McCarthy and worked as an assistant for 11 seasons. With his vast experience, not only Aaron Rodgers, but Clements has also been helpful to other QBs like Brett Favre and Jordan Love.

Clements’ adaptive coaching style shines

As per ESPN, Clements played a crucial role during Brett Favre‘s final years in Green Bay. The QB coach focused on helping him perform at his best on Sundays. Reflecting on his time with Favre, Clements remarked, “Brett would listen. He was a coach’s son, so he would try to do it. If it worked for him, great. If it didn’t, then he would do it his way.” This approach led to a notable reduction in interceptions and a memorable NFC Championship Game appearance in 2007.

Transitioning to Jordan Love, Clements faced a new challenge. Limited by changes in NFL offseason rules, Clements focused on improving Love’s footwork. Despite the constraints, Love embraced Clements’ coaching style, appreciating his straightforward approach and commitment to improvement. “Tom’s a laid-back guy. He’s going to stay by the book, and if you’re doing a good job, he’ll give you a handshake,” remarked Love.

Also, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur recognized Clements’ value and praised him, “He’s got great knowledge. He’s a great team guy. The quarterbacks all like him, and they believe in him.” LaFleur eagerly welcomed Clements’ continued presence on the coaching staff. Reflecting on Tom’s journey, his unwavering dedication and commitment to excellence have left an indelible mark on the Packers.

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