"At what point do you move on?": When Aaron Rodgers clapped back at 'smear attack' questioning his leadership in Green Bay
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers enjoyed good relationships with some of his former teammates. However, in April 2019, a Bleacher Report article was published that quoted former Green Bay Packers players and their thoughts on the quarterback and former coach Mike McCarthy.
A few days after the article circulated online and on social media, Rodgers addressed the comments made against him, which insinuated the quarterback wasn't a good leader. Through ESPN Milwaukee's "The Wilde and Tausch" radio show, the quarterback called it a "smear attack" specifically written to make him look bad.
"The thing is about this article it's not a mystery, this was smear attack by a writer looking to advance his career, talking with mostly irrelevant, bitter players who all have an agenda, rather they're advancing their own careers or just trying to stir old stuff up," Rodgers said in Apr. 2019.
"Then what happens is the same tired media folks picking it up and talking about it. It's just emphasizing their opinion about me already."
While most of the quotes were made anonymously, two of Aaron Rodgers' former teammates, Greg Jennings and Jermichael Finley, did allow their names to be published. Rodgers referred to his former teammates as "bitter" and wanted to know when they would just move on and stop talking about the past.
"I would say probably not. ... I would say at what point do you move on? You talk about me being sensitive and petty, at what point do you move on or stop telling the same stories? Like really? A conversation with Carlos Rogers on the field, making a joke, about his situation? That's what you're going to hold on to?" Rodgers added.
Aaron Rodgers defended former coach Mike McCarthy, who was deemed an incompetent head coach by the article as well.
Aaron Rodgers' issues with Greg Jennings date back to 2012
As part of the Bleacher Report article on Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, Greg Jennings detailed an incident that changed things between himself and the quarterback.
Jennings said that in 2012, while he was playing the final year of his contract with the Green Bay Packers, he had an interaction with San Francisco 49ers cornerback Carlos Rodgers. The cornerback asked him about his route running, which he said was due in part to him playing in the final year of his contract.
According to Greg Jennings, the quarterback walked up and suggested the 49ers sign Jennings.
"You guys should get him at the end of the year," Rodgers said
The former Packers wide receiver was shocked by Aaron Rodgers' comments and knew that if he had done the same, the outcome would have been much different.
"I don't think he realizes what he said and the impact that it had," Jennings said at the time. "Had the shoe been on the other foot and I said, 'Hey, man, I should come and play with your quarterback', he would've been so offended by that.
"But when it comes out of his mouth — and we all know there's truth behind jokes-for him to say that and just act as though everything was the same? It just wasn't."
The former wide receiver said he then realized that he would be moving on from the Packers when he became a free agent that offseason.