Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers will be taking on a familiar face in Week 9. Ahead of Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Rodgers said he is ‘sincerely surprised‘ that Green Bay chose not to bring back Hayward, who plays for the Bolts.
“I always really enjoyed going against him in practice. He was a great teammate, a great locker room guy. Was sincerely surprised when we didn’t offer him a contract to bring him back,” Rodgers said.
The Packers selected Hayward in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. The veteran corner would spend his first four seasons in the NFL in Green Bay. That was until the Packers decided not to offer him an extension after the 2015 season.
At the time, Hayward was coming into his own as one of the NFL's best players at his position. Nevertheless, he chose to sign with the San Diego—now Los Angeles Chargers.
Since joining the Chargers, Hayward has made the Pro Bowl twice and has totaled 13 interceptions in four seasons with the team. Even Rodgers has taken note of how Hayward has improved since his days with the Packers.
“I think he’s better,” Rodgers said when asked about Hayward Wednesday. “He made himself into an All-Pro corner with more opportunities. When he was with us, he was playing primarily in the slot. He’s figured out how to play really, really well outside and predominantly outside now in their scheme. He’s got great ball skills, he’s a heady player, he’s a savvy vet. You have to be very wary about what you want to throw to that side.”
The Packers will be the so-called road team when they face the Chargers on Sunday. But there will undoubtedly be a conglomerate of ‘cheeseheads' cheering Green Bay on; a feeling that Hayward was once accustomed to.
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