There was a time when NFL coaches and general managers would use the threat of a trade to the Green Bay Packers as a threat towards their players in order to inspire change in their behavior and/or improvement of their play. Back in those days, the Packers were not a very good team and the cold weather in Green Bay was a major deterrent.
That all changed, however, when Reggie White, the highest profile free agent at the time, chose the Packers over his multitude of suitors. The addition of White in free agency, the trade for Brett Favre, and the savvy team-building of Hall of Fame general manager Ron Wolf (along with the culture created by former head coach Mike Holmgren) made Green Bay a winning franchise and an attractive destination for players.
Of course, the Packers are not known for making big splashes in free agency. The ones they do make, however, are notable, and are a testament to the culture that was built and the hard work their current leadership has done to maintain and continue it.
Green Bay Packers Running Back Josh Jacobs Has High Praise for Head Coach Matt LaFleur
During his latter days with the Packers, four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers claimed that free agents only came to Green Bay because he was there. And, indeed, the Packers did make a few notable signings during his tenure, including Pro Football Hall of Famers Charles Woodson and Julius Peppers.
But the notion that he was the biggest factor in free agents choosing the Packers was debunked very shortly after he left. Last offseason, Green Bay was able to sign both the best running back and safety on the market. Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney both made the Pro Bowl in their first season in Green Bay.
And while finances are always a big reason why a player chooses any particular team, Jacobs’ recent praise for head coach Matt LaFleur reveal that the organization has a great deal going for it that players find attractive:
“Matt is, okay so first off, his mind for the game is up there with the best of them,” Jacobs said. “Like, one thing I love about him and me’s relationship is that we talk every day. So like, in season, we talk every day. He’ll pull me to the side or whatever, and we’ll have our one-on-ones, and he’ll be like, ‘What do you see, what do you whatever?’
“But when I say scheme-wise and the way he breaks down films and explains why we are doing this. You know, a lot of people just say, ‘Do this.’ But he’ll break it down and be like, ‘This is why we are doing this because they are showing this.’
“I’m like ‘d–m, this m—er—-er,’ I was going into my sixth season [last year], and I was like, ‘D—, this dude got me thinking about sh– I’ve never thought about.’
“He’s also a player’s coach. He gives us a lot of, I’m not going to say leeway because he don’t give leeway. He really stand on what he believe in. But when I say ‘leeway,’ he’ll come to the leaders of the team and be like, ‘What do you all want to do’ with certain situations.
“And he’s going to go to war for you, too. That’s the other thing. He even got fined for cussing out refs. If he believes in somebody, he’s going to go to war for you.
“So like that group of guys that they got in there, like Bisaccia and all of them, they’re legit. They make coming to work fun.”
This is really a testament to the culture that Green Bay has worked so hard to build over the last 30+ years. It is also an insight into why some of the offensive players, especially, choose to stay or come to the Packers.
The head coach is one of the most respected minds in the game.
