Cheesehead
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- Mar 19, 2019
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In any event, Rodgers made it a point to say this one doesn't feel like those previous two seasons that fell short, for multiple reasons.
For one, he was a lot younger in 2014, so he wasn't hearing the ticking of Father Time quite so loudly. That might make this one hurt a little longer.
In 2016, he felt as though the roster itself was farther away, and that overhaul finally came this past year, which got the Packers back to this point sooner than almost anyone predicted. That's where the optimism lies.
"It felt like it was something special just because it didn't really make sense," Rodgers said of the team's 13-3 record and first-round playoff bye. "We weren't picked by most people to win the division, and we found a way not only to do that, but win a home playoff game …
"It felt like it was meant to be almost, so that's disappointing. And I don't have the same number of years ahead of me as I do behind me."
But it's that part about the roster, and the team as a whole, that was sticking with Rodgers the most as he gave his final postgame press conference of the season.
He couldn't praise General Manager Brian Gutekunst and the personnel staff enough for all the moves they made – from the big free-agent acquisitions of Za'Darius Smith and Preston Smith, Adrian Amos and Billy Turner, to the under-the-radar pickups like B.J. Goodson, Tyler Ervin, and Jared Veldheer.
He equally applauded the leadership of Matt LaFleur and his coaching staff in their first year at the helm, bringing all the parts together, empowering the players, and getting them to buy into their roles.
"That's what made it special," Rodgers said. "It was a player-led team and a close-knit group. The pieces are in place.
"Last year I felt we needed to reload. We were 6-9-1. Now it's just adding to, keeping the framework in place. I feel good about our team and our organization."