Packers hire Tom Clements
Tom Clements, one of the coaches Aaron Rodgers has credited for his development during his early NFL days, is coming out of retirement to return to the Green Bay Packers as quarterbacks coach.
Clements verbally accepted the job Thursday. The contract has not yet been signed, but is expected to be just a formality.
While there is an obvious connection to Aaron Rodgers, a source said Clements’ arrival does not guarantee the reigning NFL MVP will remain with the Packers, but it is another move the Packers hope will convince Rodgers to stay.
Clements was with the Packers from 2006 to 2016. He most recently served as quarterbacks coach for the Arizona Cardinals, but retired after the 2020 season. He did not work between the end of his time with the Packers and joining the Cardinals in 2019 and also did not coach last season.
The 68-year-old was one of Rodgers’ first position coaches in the NFL. He came to Green Bay in Rodgers’ second season when Mike McCarthy was hired as coach. Clements was with the quarterbacks from 2006 to 2011, presiding over Rodgers’ Super Bowl season in 2010 and first MVP season of 2011. He became offensive coordinator in 2012. When McCarthy stopped deciding plays in 2015, he turned that job over to Clements and named him associate head coach. However, McCarthy assumed responsibility for deciding plays later that season. Clements remained on staff for one more season.
Even though it has been more than five years since he worked with Clements, Rodgers still mentions Clements when talking about the keys to the game at the position. He last did so in January, during the week leading up to the Packers’ playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers.
“I’m grateful, deeply grateful, to guys like Joe Philbin, Tom Clements and Alex Van Pelt, who helped me understand that facet of leadership and being a quarterback,” Rodgers said last month. He also referenced Clements at the end of the regular season when he talked about a ball he threw to Davante Adams early in the Week 17 game against the Vikings.
“I learned from Tom Clements, to avoid three deadly sins [as] a quarterback: don’t throw late over the middle, don’t make blind throws and don’t make premeditated decisions,” Rodgers said. “So, with all apologies to Tom and his excellent coaching over the years, I had a premeditated decision to throw to Davante on that play.”
News of the Packers’ interest in Clements was first reported by Pro Football Network before a deal was reached.
Clements will replace Luke Getsy, who was hired as offensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears last month.
Clements is the second head coach hired this offseason with ties to Rodgers. Last week, they hired one of Rodgers’ former teammates at Cal, Byron Storer, as assistant special teams coach. But Storer’s ties are more to new special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia than to Rodgers. Storer served in the same position under Bisaccia the past four seasons with the Raiders.
As of Thursday, Rodgers had not informed the Packers of his plans for the 2022 season, whether to return to Green Bay, request a trade or retire, a source relayed.
Asked last week what he had to weigh before making a decision, Rodgers said, “It’s just a matter of mentally weighing where I am and understanding what the commitment is and making a commitment and everybody moving forward.”
