Aaron Rodgers' mind is a large part of the reason why he has become one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks of his generation, and why he has been able to direct a perennially explosive Green Bay Packers offense seemingly like clockwork. And apparently, Rodgers fancies himself as quite the offensive coordinator -- depending on who you ask.
During a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers boasted about his abilities as an offensive coordinator, claiming that he called plays for backup quarterback Matt Flynn during a Week 17 game in 2011. The Packers rested Rodgers at the end of a 15-1 regular season, leaving him free to orchestrate the offense from the sidelines as Flynn got to start against the Detroit Lions.
"I could call it for another quarterback, and I have before ... 2011, Week 17," Rodgers said. "I called a lot of that game. I don't think that's new news. I think that's been out there that I had a hand in a lot of those calls. I didn't do a whole lot, Matt balled out in that game."
Flynn did more than "ball out" -- he tied the Packers' single-game franchise records for passing yards and touchdowns, going off for 480 yards and six scores in a 45-41 victory. But in a post on Twitter, Flynn ribbed his old teammate by claiming that he audibled out of most of the plays Rodgers called.
Had to audible outta most of them
— Matt Flynn (@mflynn3) September 27, 2022
A seventh-round pick by the Packers in the 2008 NFL Draft, Flynn's performance against the Lions went a long way toward him earning a three-year, $19.5 million contract to play quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks. However, Flynn famously lost a quarterback competition to then little-known Russell Wilson and then went on an odyssey before returning to the Packers in 2013. Flynn would spend two more seasons as Rodgers' backup, starting four games when Rodgers missed time due to injury.
