Former Packers head coach weighs in on Aaron Rodgers drama

Former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike Holmgren criticized his former organization for the way they’ve handed the Aaron Rodgers saga.

Mike Holmgren is not impressed with the way the Packers have treated Aaron Rodgers.

With everyone taking their sides in the dispute between Rodgers and the Packers, count Holmgren on Rodgers’ side.

“I can’t imagine a relationship between the coach, or management, or whoever is making the decisions and a star quarterback like that getting to this point,” Holgrem said on the Carmen and Jurkow show on ESPN Chicago, per TMZ.

“I just can’t imagine it. I wouldn’t allow it. It wouldn’t happen.”

The former Super Bowl winner said you don’t treat all players the same, especially the franchise quarterback.

Mike Holmgren would have handled the Aaron Rodgers situation differently

Holmgren would have called Rodgers before Green Bay traded up for Jordan Love last year.

“You have a line that no one crosses, but I would call him in and say, ‘Look, we’re going to do this. This is how it’s going to affect you. We’ve got to get ready for when you retire. We’ve got to kind of think of the franchise. But, nothing’s going to happen now. You’re the man. You’re the guy.’,” Holmgren said.

That’s a newer approach, of course. When Holmgren came up through the 49ers coaching ranks, he said they didn’t give Joe Montana a heads up before they brought in Steven Young.

“It’s a different world now. It’s a different world,” he said.

Indeed it is. Quarterbacks are more valuable than they’ve ever been and they know it. Players also hold a degree of power these days that they didn’t have in the past.

Front offices don’t have to let a quarterback dictate their moves, but looping the star player in is the best way to preserve relationships and internal unity. If the Packers had thought of that from the beginning, they wouldn’t be in this mess.