Oakland Raiders defensive back Charles Woodson was teammates with Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay for seven years. Woodson is as familiar with Rodgers as any veteran who has called Lambeau Field home since 2005, and he has been surprised by the attacks on the quarterback’s leadership ability.
Throughout the offseason, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Greg Jennings has been critical of Rodgers and the way he supposedly refuses to hold himself accountable for things that go wrong. Donald Driver later added that he understood where Jennings was coming from, albeit with a much kinder delivery. All of that chatter confuses Woodson.
“I didn’t understand that part, either,” Woodson told ESPNWisconsin.com. “There’s no question in my mind that A-Rod’s the leader of that team and he does a great job. Maybe he thought he had some friends where he doesn’t have some friends. Now that those guys are gone, they’re voicing this. I don’t know how that’s fair.”
Not only does Woodson feel that the comments are unfair, he said Rodgers has single-handedly won games for the Packers when their defense was struggling.
“I would say this: There’s been times throughout my career there when defensively we put a piss-poor product on the field, and we’ve been in games and won ballgames solely on the arm of Aaron Rodgers and the legs of Aaron Rodgers and what he’s been able to do throwing a ball to a Greg, a Donald, a Jermichael (Finley),” he said. “A couple years ago, we were 15-1, and if we have any other quarterback other than Aaron Rodgers, we’re 7-9.”
Woodson’s remarks about his former teammate sound more in line with what you would expect players to say about a phenomenal talent like Rodgers. He may have some flaws like anyone else, but he is a Super Bowl MVP and arguably the best quarterback in the league. Jennings is likely just bitter that the Packers didn’t want him back. Driver insists he was misunderstood with his comments. Whatever the case, I’m more apt to believe Woodson.
H/T Shutdown Corner
