Clayton: John Elway could be a key recruiter in pursuit of Aaron Rodgers
May 20, 2021, 2:01 PM
It’s hard to say if the story is true or not true, but reports are out that John Elway was spotted playing golf with Aaron Rodgers recently in California.
Some sources say it happened. Some say it didn’t.
The only thing we know is true is that Rodgers favors coming to Denver. Elway could be one of the big reasons why and it has nothing to do with golf.
Peyton Manning was recruited by many teams when he was a free agent. Once he got together with Elway, the ballgame was over. No. 18 was signing with the Broncos.
Manning appreciated having one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history as his boss. Manning knew he would get the freedom to do things the way he wanted. Elway had that freedom when he was playing.
Rodgers could see things the same way. In the Mike McCarthy days, Rodgers felt at times restricted, particularly in McCarthy’s final year as head coach of the Green Bay Packers.
Rodgers liked the Packers offense last year, but he had some issues with it in Matt LeFleur’s first season. In Denver, working for Elway, Rodgers can do things the way he prefers and he can always compare notes with Elway.
Legacy is also part of Rodgers’ thinking. In some ways, Elway understands.
Rodgers is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Where he takes some criticism is that as great as he is, he’s only won one Super Bowl. Even worse, he’s 1-4 in NFC Championship Games. He’s lost four NFC title games in a row.
No quarterback wants to take the criticism of not winning the big one. It didn’t help him last year when Rodgers was the MVP, but the Packers didn’t get him another receiver. Davante Adams is a star, but the next highest catch total for a Green Bay receiver was 33.
Elway took some criticism for going to Super Bowls and not winning. He fixed that by winning championships in his final two years.
If Rodgers can make it to the Broncos, the two would have plenty to talk about on the golf course.
