Doubt & Lack Of Support Ironically Fuel Job Security For Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers
Job security. Everyone craves it, especially when the world feels upside down.
And nothing gives that stamp of approval like being widely considered the most talented in your industry, a proven winner, and the face of the company—or so I thought. Everything about surefire first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ career with the Green Bay Packers has turned that notion on its head. Can you imagine being a Super Bowl Champion for one of the most iconic NFL franchises, a past recipient of the League’s MVP award, and an 8-time Pro Bowler, but still having critics doubt whether you can get the job done? Worse, imagine your own team being your biggest skeptic. That’s the life of a man who’s had to endure the cold winters on the frozen tundra of Green Bay’s Lambeau Field as well as the frigid support from Packers management.
As pointed out in a previous Forbes story I filed earlier this season, Rodgers has been Green Bay’s starting quarterback for 12 years but it wasn’t until 2019 that he threw his first touchdown pass to a first-round draft pick. That indicates that each offseason, the Packers’ decision-makers used perhaps their most precious growth asset on adding players whose skillsets did not enhance their star player. In fact, as a starting QB, Rogers has never thrown a pass to a wide receiver that has the first-round draft pick distinction. In contrast, New Orleans Saints star quarterback Drew Brees has thrown 842 passes to a wideout taken in the first round.
Despite the lack of attention to bolstering the supporting cast, Rodgers continues to post eye-popping stats and postseason appearances. Just this past weekend, Rodgers became the fastest QB in NFL history to throw 400 career touchdown passes—he reached that milestone while throwing 102 fewer interceptions than fellow 400-touchdown club member and Hall of Fame shoo-in Tom Brady.
As we gear up for Week 14 of the NFL season, Rodgers has thrown a league-leading 36 touchdown passes—a far cry from someone Packers’ ownership felt was so washed up they used a first-round pick this past Spring on quarterback Jordan Love from Utah State. There’s no debate that Love displayed quite a bit of talent during his collegiate days, has a ton of upside, and could eventually have a lengthy professional career, but there’s also no debate that selecting a QB with the top pick was a message to Green Bay’s top player.
How would you respond if you saw the company you’ve dedicated yourself to hire your potential replacement rather than your potential winning ingredient?
Sulking, pouting, demanding a trade, and poor performance are the common reactions we’ve seen when countless other players were dealt with similar cards, but Rodgers decided to keep his hand… and keep winning. In fact, he’s guided the Packers to a three-game lead in the NFC North Division and the second-most wins in the conference.
I get it—at a certain stage for all of us, people will start doubting our abilities and wondering if it’s time to hit the eject button. There will be a day when your employer contemplates moving on and letting somebody else take your spot. They may even ask you to groom them through the onboarding process. While we should all seek to be encouraging of the next generation of leaders—in essence leaving a place better than when we found it, the great leaders I’ve studied never just throw in the towel without at least showing they can still compete for the job.
Rodgers didn’t become uncooperative with management nor did he post a bitter tweet expressing his frustrations to the World Wide Web, instead he trained harder, connected deeper with teammates, and continued to convince all naysayers to simply “R-E-L-A-X.” It’s clear that Rogers is the type of leader who embraces adversity as the prime opportunity to suppress speculation and surpass expectations.
And as a result, only nuclear launch codes should be more secure than Aaron Rodgers’ job in Green Bay.