When the Green Bay Packers regroup this offseason following their NFC wild-card round exit from the playoffs, they will do so without quarterback guru Tom Clements.
The Packers announced Tuesday that Clements, 71, is retiring after a lengthy run as a position coach for Green Bay and several other teams.
Clements coached Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers during his first stint with the Packers from 2006-16, which saw him spend three seasons as their offensive coordinator and another two as assistant head coach.
He returned in 2022 after a two-year stay with the Arizona Cardinals and a season away from football. Love has been Green Bay’s quarterback starting quarterback since 2023.
“Man, it’s been a cool ride with him for the last three years,” head coach Matt LaFleur said of Clements.
“Talk about Favre, Rodgers and then the development of Jordan Love. I mean, that’s pretty cool. I know he’s meant a lot to this organization — his contributions — and he will definitely be missed. I can’t say enough great things about him. I really appreciate him.”
Clements played quarterback at Notre Dame from 1972-74 and won a national championship with the Fighting Irish in 1973. He spent most of his professional playing career in the Canadian Football League before returning to Notre Dame as quarterbacks coach in 1992.
From there, he caught on with the New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers to coach the position and was the Buffalo Bills’ offensive coordinator in 2004 and 2005.
It’s unclear who will take over the position for Clements in Green Bay, but the successor’s main focus will be Love, who signed a four-year, $220 million contract extension with the Packers before the 2024 season.
After helping the Packers reach the NFC divisional round in 2023, Love went 20-for-33 passing for 212 yards and tossed three interceptions Sunday in a 22-10 wild-card loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
LaFleur said Love’s “next step” is to grow as a more vocal leader of the Packers, who lost three straight games (regular season and playoffs) to cap the 2024 campaign.
“Do I think he can play better? Absolutely,” LaFleur said. “Do I think I can help him out and be better? Absolutely. Do I think we can play better around him? Absolutely.
“I just think it’s too much to put it on one person. I really do. I think collectively, we have to be better, and I expect better.”
–Field Level Media
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