How Much Mentoring Did Rodgers Receive From Favre?

by Brandon on Jul 8, 2011 12:01 PM CDT in Green Bay Packers Analysis

Leigh Steinberg is old school, he was a high powered agent in the 1980s and 1990s, but he wrote a good article on franchise quarterbacks. He doesn't use recent examples, but the advice is still sound. From the National Football Post:

"As a young quarterback, you perform mostly on arm strength and escapability. It takes years to read the field correctly. Looking at the tape of decision making in your early years is depressing." Neil Lomax said to me, "Every year your decision making improves, but the irony is that your head and leadership hit their high points just about when your knees are gone."

The rookie years for promising quarterbacks often involve unfortunate interceptions, lining up over the guard instead of the center and lack of effective time management. It just takes time to develop field mastery. But the limitations of the salary cap take away this nurturing time. Quarterbacks like Steve McNair, Carson Palmer, Philip Rivers and Aaron Rogers greatly benefitted from time spent learning behind veteran quarterbacks.

Yes, he spelled Aaron Rodgers's name wrong. The mentoring Rodgers received from Brett Favre isn't a topic of conversation that either of them open up about, but I got the sense that it really didn't happen. Rodgers certainly learned by watching him, and he was certainly more ready to start for the first time in 2008 then if he was forced into the role back in 2005. But I've never thought he "greatly benefited" from having Favre around for his first couple seasons. I can't imagine Favre being interested in grooming anyone for his job.

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Maybe I remember wrong

But in one of the interviews from 06-07 didn’t Favre say that he wasn’t going to mentor anybody because that wasn’t his job

by Adin on Jul 8, 2011 12:20 PM CDT reply actions

I think you're right

God Bless Our Troops............Especially Our Snipers!

by bigbill992001 on Jul 8, 2011 6:54 PM CDT up reply actions

Yup…that was exactly what he said. He clearly wasn’t interested in seeing a young guy learn from him and take his job. It happened anyway though.

The Green Bay Packers...Putting bad coaches out of their misery since 2010

by TrevorR on Jul 15, 2011 9:34 AM CDT up reply actions

Its ALWAYS gonna happen...

Its the nature of the game!

You've been Stroh'd™!!!

by Strohman on Jul 15, 2011 1:50 PM CDT up reply actions

Mentoring QB's

This is something that is greatly over-exaggerated IMO. Sitting behind a veteran QB is a great way for a young player to learn, but other than learning a few intangibles, I don’t think they learn much directly from the vets. Rodgers learned some important things by watching Favre, but not in the way the game is played. I think he learned how to handle a huddle, maybe how to motivate some guys, to command the respect of the team and how to prepared like a professional. Those are the intangible things that a vet can teach a young QB. Those are very important lessons to be sure, but they have little to do w/ actual on field play.

Rodgers has always been a better decision maker than Favre. And while that is something that takes time to learn on the field, its also evident thru his personal life. Rodgers didnt need Favre and Favre cetainly had no interest in teaching his replacement, having said as much after Rodgers was drafted. Something to the effect that its not his job to teach Rodgers anything…

In the end, it comes down to something someone from the team said (anyone remember who?) about the player run workouts. Coaches Coach and players play. Learning from a vet is helpful, but learning from the coach is whats REALLY important. It might have been Rodgers or McCarthy but I don’t recall.

You've been Stroh'd™!!!

by Strohman on Jul 8, 2011 12:27 PM CDT reply actions

insert cellphone joke here:

Rodgers has always been a better decision maker than Favre.

and…. GO.

"Show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser." - Vince Lombardi

by AdamA on Jul 8, 2011 12:34 PM CDT up reply actions

Sadly, the cellphone was thrown into double coverage by QB4 on the next play

the text messages were intercepted.

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Author at Acme Packing Company, a Green Bay Packers blog
"If you don't tell him what he wants to hear, he's going to find you out. And when he does, they're going to tear your head off and throw your BODY OUT OF AN AIRLOCK!" - Number Six, "Bastille Day"

by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Jul 8, 2011 9:10 PM CDT up reply actions

agreed

agreed Stroh.
despite not having been there, I disagree with any statement that claims Favre mentored Rodgers. -I even remember accounts from rookie Greg Jennings saying that Favre was pretty aloof and disengaged.
But does that mean that Rodgers didn’t benefit from being behind Favre?
In addition to Stroh’s point, Rodgers had a chance to grow into and out grow his work with the scout team (bonus for developing the belt in this time). As a competitor, he also had Favre as a template, which is way better than coming into the NFL and beating out a committee of backups.

by Anthony Dilweg on Jul 8, 2011 4:36 PM CDT up reply actions

If the QB wants to take the time to mentor the young QB I think it can be very helpful, though he’ll be acting as more of a coach in that case (just paid like a player). That said, you don’t want your #1 QB spending TOO much time mentoring cause you want him to be prepared himself and focused on winning.

The Green Bay Packers...Putting bad coaches out of their misery since 2010

by TrevorR on Jul 15, 2011 9:36 AM CDT up reply actions

Film Study

I had read that by Rodgers’ third season, he was breaking down film and presenting it, along with the QB coaching staff, to Favre to prep for the next opponent. I’m sure Rodgers’ intelligence and study habits contributed mightily to McCarthy’s decision that the “train has left the station” following the 2007 season.

Nitschke never wore an earring!

by Packer Pete on Jul 8, 2011 12:58 PM CDT reply actions

I like trains. :)

McCarthy’s decision that the "train has left the station" following the 2007 season.

"It's a great day to be great, baby!"

"Here I am, brain the size of a planet,
and they ask me to pick up a piece of paper.
You call that job satisfaction?
'Cause, I don't."

The Munsters of the Midway still suck!

by NorthStarr on Jul 14, 2011 1:18 AM CDT up reply actions

Trains are sweet

I just took my first inter-city train a couple of months ago, from Santa Fe to Albuquerque, it was $3! Then a couple of Amtrak’s in California, from Hanford to Fresno & Merced to Modesto (on my way out of Yosemite). It’s a really cool way to travel when it’s not cost-prohibitive.

13.

by Wiedmann on Jul 14, 2011 5:00 AM CDT up reply actions

One of these days

I’ve really got to do Anchorage to Fairbanks, through Denali.
Inexcusably, I’ve never done that.

"It's a great day to be great, baby!"

"Here I am, brain the size of a planet,
and they ask me to pick up a piece of paper.
You call that job satisfaction?
'Cause, I don't."

The Munsters of the Midway still suck!

by NorthStarr on Jul 14, 2011 8:48 AM CDT up reply actions

I just got a ride out of Crater Lake from a guy who used to work in Denali

He spoke quite highly of it.

13.

by Wiedmann on Jul 16, 2011 1:03 AM CDT up reply actions

Honestly I can see Favre not wanting to mentor somebody because of fear of what happened. I honestly don’t know many Packer fans away from this site, and correct me if I am wrong, but when Rodgers suited up I was comfortable. I saw how he reacted in the Cowboys game the year before and knew that with some time with the first team, he was going to be a great QB.

Though, I see guys like Donald Driver and Charles Woodson helping out their counterparts. Maybe its the fact that their is multiples of their position on the field but I could see Woodson take Tramon or Driver taking Jordy/Jones/Cobb aside and tell them what to do better next time.

That or Favre isn’t the leader he was made out to be.

by king.nothing on Jul 8, 2011 1:03 PM CDT reply actions

The individual's personality, I guess.

"Perhaps it was the Noid who should have avoided me." Mayor Adam West

by insertscreenname on Jul 8, 2011 1:27 PM CDT up reply actions

I wasn't exactly comfortable with Aaron right off the bat...

But you’re right about his performance in the Cowboys game. Aaron could have just folded under the pressure of going against one of the best teams in the NFC (at the time), but he kept us in the game (18-26, 201 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT, 5 carries, 30 yds).

E-5-1-50

by mike_o on Jul 8, 2011 2:40 PM CDT up reply actions

My only real fear was his ability to stay on the field.

It seemed he got hurt every time he stepped on the field.

Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!

Green Bay Packers: Super Bowl XLV Champions!!!!

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by Omaha Sun on Jul 8, 2011 3:27 PM CDT up reply actions

Rodgers learned a lot from Favre

How to force balls into triple coverage, how to throw picks in the worst possible moment, how to be a selfish teammate, how to waffle in everything in life, how to send innapropriate dong shots to a coworker…

Good thing Rodgers is a terrible learned, or else we would be screwed.

/can’t wait for Favre to mentor Newton

"IT IS TIME"

by PackersRS on Jul 8, 2011 2:31 PM CDT reply actions

I know you were being sarcastic, but I FTFY anyway...

How NOT to force balls into triple coverage, how NOT to throw picks in the worst possible moment, how NOT to be a selfish teammate, how NOT to waffle in everything in life, how NOT to send innapropriate dong shots to a coworker…

Sorry just couldn’t help myself… I felt compelled to do that! LOL

You've been Stroh'd™!!!

by Strohman on Jul 8, 2011 3:03 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs