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The Green Bay Packers' young wide receivers had a rather difficult time this past season, as they were caught right in the middle of the power struggle between head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
But does Rodgers think he is disrespecting the young wide outs by attempting to control them? He doesn't think so.
Article Continues Below“The approach is the approach, and it has never involved disrespect,” Rodgers told Jason Wilde and Mark Tauscher of ESPN. “But respect is earned, respect isn’t freely given. And I think with some of the young players, there is a greater sense of entitlement. It’s just the world that we live in. There’s a different kind of style coming in. But respect is always earned, and the opportunities to earn their respect are there from Day 1, Meeting 1, Conversation 1, and I look forward to seeing those guys grow this year.”
Rodgers also says that Davante Adams and the now-departed Randall Cobb did a great job of keeping the young wide outs in line and that Rodgers was only trying to echo their sentiments.
“They’ve had some great leaders in that room over the years and last season with Davante and Randall, who are two of the best we’ve ever had,” Rodgers said. “Those guys do a great job of trying to hold them accountable. And for me, it’s just echoing a lot of stuff that they’re saying, you know? It’s practice habits, it’s approach, it’s preparation. Like I said before, my style of leadership is my style. And like I said, I’m prepared, I’m focused, I’m competitive and I hold myself to a high standard and I hold the guys to a high standard. Not a standard that they can’t reach, (but) a standard for a rookie that’s attainable, and it’s based on learning how to be a practice player and what a good practice looks like and learn how to be a pro: being on time, being prepared, knowing your stuff and communicating.”
Surely, this won't be the last time the 35-year-old signal-caller has to answer questions about his leadership ability this year.
