Packers to hire Tom Clements as QBs coach in hopes of keeping Aaron Rodgers

Feb. 17 (UPI) -- The Green Bay Packers are expected to hire Tom Clements, one of the coaches star quarterback Aaron Rodgers has long credited for his development during his early NFL years, as quarterbacks coach.

League sources told ESPN, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Pro Football Network that Clements verbally accepted the position Thursday. According to the outlets, the contract still has to be signed, but the signing is expected to be just a formality.

Clements' pending arrival in Green Bay doesn't guarantee that Rodgers -- the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player -- will return to the Packers next season, according to ESPN. However, the Packers hope the move will convince Rodgers to come back in 2022.

Clements was on the Packers' coaching staff from 2006-16 in a variety of roles. Most recently, he served as the Arizona Cardinals' quarterbacks coach for two seasons (2019-20) before retiring at the conclusion of the 2020 season.

The 68-year-old Clements was out of the NFL for two years before joining the Cardinals. He also didn't coach this past season.

Clements was one of Rodgers' first position coaches in the league. Clements came to Green Bay in Rodgers' second season, when Mike McCarthy was hired as the Packers' head coach.

Even though it has been more than five years since Rodgers worked with Clements, the star signal-caller still recalls the lessons that Clements taught him.

"I'm thankful, deeply thankful, to guys like Joe Philbin and Tom Clements and Alex Van Pelt, who've helped me understand that facet of leadership and being a quarterback," Rodgers said last month.

Late in the 2021 regular season, Rodgers also referenced something that Clements told him when talking about a pass he threw to star wide receiver Davante Adams in Week 17 against the Minnesota Vikings.

"I learned from Tom Clements, we always had three mortal sins [as] the quarterback: don't throw late down the middle, don't make any blind throws and no premeditated decisions," Rodgers said. "And so with all apologies to Tom and his excellent training over the years, I kind of had a premeditated decision to throw it to Davante on that play."

Clements will replace Luke Getsy, who was hired to be the Chicago Bears' offensive coordinator last month.