Since the re-signing of Aaron Rodgers went down, the Pittsburgh Steelers have had much more of a clear sense of direction. All it took was one move that many figured would wind up happening, and there's at least reason to look ahead with a bit of positivity.
And, while everyone was wondering where he was, what he was doing, and what he could have been thinking, Rodgers was also getting some advice from former teammates in the process, especially right after the team hired Mike McCarthy.
Rodgers' former teammate, wide receiver James Jones, commented on the quarterback's return and revealed he was one to urge the 3-time MVP back to Pittsburgh.
"I text Aaron Rodgers when Mike got the job and said, 'you got to play one more," Jones told Sirius XM Radio.
"As a teammate, if I thought the relationship wasn't good, why would that be my first text? What I see with my own two eyes in these dudes' relationship, like these dudes were like father and son."
Father and son, huh? That's sure a whole lot different than other stories we've heard over the years.
James Jones can't be the only former teammate to push Aaron Rodgers back to the Pittsburgh Steelers
What comes to mind after hearing Jones' words is all of the past fluff we've heard, seen, read, or watched about Rodgers and how he was perceived by former teammates. There have been some reports in the past that have painted Rodgers as a bad guy or a bad teammate.
Yet, on the contrary, we have also heard plenty about why Rodgers was a good teammate. Whether it was recently with the Steelers or other ex-teammates from his days in Green Bay, there's been a lot of reason to believe he's been loved and respected for a while, regardless of his public perception.
The ex-teammate who comes to mind, right off the top of my head, is A.J. Hawk, who is the Packers' all-time leading tackler and a current co-host of The Pat McAfee Show. Rodgers obviously makes regular appearances on the show and has for a while, so he and Hawk clearly continue to have a relationship to this day.
It also wouldn't be surprising for ex-teammates like Davante Adams, Jordy Nelson, or Randall Cobb to have reached out and urged Rodgers to play another year. We know all three have commented on Rodgers' past decisions, so it wouldn't be surprising to hear that they encouraged him in private.
This "last dance" for Rodgers alongside McCarthy has to be something many of his former teammates were rooting for. I'd be willing to bet there were guys like Hawk, Jones, and tons of other teammates who reached out to Rodgers in hopes he would keep it going for at least one more year.
After all, if Rodgers' relationship with McCarthy was as Jones says it was, then there's all the more reason for him to give it another go. There has to be a sense of unfinished business with Rodgers and McCarthy. Only winning one Super Bowl together when they very clearly had the talent to win more, now they have another shot, but on a completely different team and within a completely different situation.
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