Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been by far the most efficient passer in the NFL over the past four or five years, and that is hardly an accident. Sure, Rodgers is physically gifted. But like all the greats, most of his success is bred between the ears.
In a recent interview with Peter King of The MMQB, Rodgers spoke at length about the importance of avoiding turnovers. After going into detail about one of the six red-zone interceptions he threw in his career, which was picked off by Chicago Bears safety Chris Conte in 2013, Rodgers explained his three keys not giving the ball away.
“There’s three senses as a quarterback we talk about,” Rodgers told King. “One: No premeditated decisions. Two: Don’t make a blind throw. And that was a blind throw, meaning I didn’t look inside to see where the next coverage element was—that will get you sometimes. It got me against Conte. Three: Don’t throw it late down the middle.”
Rodgers said he learned in the eighth grade that he will find himself riding the bench if he can’t secure the ball. He loves that Packers head coach Mike McCarthy drills the same things into his head that his childhood coaches used to teach.
“I desperately want to be coached,” Rodgers said.
When you look back at the 2005 NFL Draft, it’s incredible that Rodgers was taken 24th overall — 23 picks after his good buddy Alex Smith. Heck, the guy has even mastered the art of handling a sword. Almost every other team in the NFL should be kicking itself for passing on Rodgers.
