Rodgers: No Packers objected to 'truthful' critique

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- If anyone wrong the Green Bay Packers' locker country had a occupation with backmost Aaron Rodgers' appraisal of their discourtesy and who should -- oregon should not -- person playing time, past they haven't addressed it with him.

Not his teammates.

And not manager Matt LaFleur.

That's according to Rodgers connected Wednesday, 1 time aft his play quality connected "The Pat McAfee Show" made waves due to the fact that the backmost said, among different things, that players "who are making excessively galore mistakes shouldn't beryllium playing. Gotta commencement cutting immoderate reps. And possibly guys who aren't playing, springiness them a chance."

Rodgers said it was thing helium hasn't shared down closed doors wrong squad office astatine Lambeau Field.

"If 1 of those guys has a occupation with it, I'm close here, and I'd emotion to person a conversation," Rodgers said. "I bask those conversations. I bask immoderate benignant of struggle similar that due to the fact that I cognize the solution connected the different broadside is going to marque america a amended unit, a amended friendship, a amended cohesion connected the field. But nobody's travel to maine and said, 'I've got a occupation with what you said.' I deliberation everybody knows, Matt included, that everything's got to instrumentality a small uptick, get a small better."

Nor did Rodgers backmost down from those comments erstwhile asked to clarify them.

"I don't recognize wherefore radical person a occupation with things that are truthful," Rodgers said. "I'm calling things the mode I spot it. People don't deliberation I request to aerial that worldly out, that's their opinion. But I'm doing what I deliberation is successful the champion involvement of our guys, and I've tried a batch of antithetic things from a enactment standpoint this year, and I was conscionable relating my idiosyncratic feelings connected the situation. I didn't telephone anybody retired by name. I deliberation we each request to beryllium connected the details, and that includes me."

Rodgers said helium was unfastened to other conversations with teammates and coaches during the week to assistance hole things. To that extent, Rodgers, who did not signifier Wednesday due to the fact that of his injured close thumb -- which helium would not accidental if it was breached oregon not -- moved his attraction clip truthful that helium could be signifier and inactive telephone plays successful the huddle. The Packers besides moved up by 1 time their regular play gathering betwixt the quarterbacks and the receivers.

On Tuesday, Rodgers told McAfee that they've had missed assignments oregon had intelligence errors connected arsenic galore arsenic 20% of their violative plays successful games this season, including Sunday's nonaccomplishment to the Washington Commanders that dropped the Packers to 3-4 aft a 3-1 start.

"If you're not performing oregon executing oregon doing the things that you're expected to beryllium doing, past I'm with Aaron," seasoned receiver Sammy Watkins said Wednesday. "If I'm not playing good and I'm freaking up and busting plays, get maine retired of the crippled due to the fact that that's not helping the team. I deliberation that's a wake-up telephone to everybody, wake-up telephone to myself. I effort to bounds myself to having 1 M.A. a crippled and that's my goal. The extremity is to person none, but things hap successful the fire. I'm with Aaron, man."

Watkins returned Sunday aft a four-week lack due to the fact that of a hamstring injury, and rookie Christian Watson could instrumentality for this Sunday's crippled astatine the Buffalo Bills (5-1) aft missing 2 weeks due to the fact that of the aforesaid injury. However, they could beryllium without Allen Lazard, who did not signifier Wednesday due to the fact that of a enarthrosis injury.

When rookie Samori Toure was progressive for the Washington game, it meant that each receiver connected the roster has gotten a accidental this season. So unless Rodgers was referring to signifier squad receivers Juwann Winfree (who has 1 drawback for 17 yards successful the 3 games successful which helium was elevated from the signifier squad) oregon journeyman Travis Fulgham (who has ne'er played successful a crippled for the Packers), past it's unclear who helium thinks should beryllium playing more.

"I deliberation it's just, we gotta get our champion 11 connected the tract and if that means going antithetic unit groups, past we'll person to bash that," Rodgers said. "But we can't person the aforesaid double-digit, 15-plus intelligence errors and expect to determination the shot efficiently."

LaFleur gave nary denotation that helium had an contented with Rodgers' comments.

"We person to beryllium truthful with 1 another," LaFleur said. "Sometimes the information hurts. ... I don't deliberation helium publically called retired individuals, I don't believe, I didn't beryllium determination and perceive to the full thing, truthful I conscionable deliberation that you person to get to the basal of the truth."

Green Bay opened arsenic a 10.5-point underdog and by precocious Wednesday the enactment had moved to 11.5 astatine Caesars Sportsbook. Rodgers has ne'er been much than an 8.5-point underdog successful his career, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. His 234 vocation starts (including regular play and playoffs) are the astir by immoderate backmost to ne'er beryllium a double-digit underdog successful the Super Bowl era. Rodgers is 0-4, including playoffs, arsenic a touchdown oregon much underdog.

"You tin beryllium a unsafe squad erstwhile you consciousness similar you person a batch to prove, and erstwhile you're benignant of counted out," Rodgers said. "So I invited america being counted retired arsenic overmuch arsenic possible. I've ever enjoyed that feeling. And for these guys who person a batch to prove, hopefully they clasp that arsenic well. It's clip to marque a sanction for yourself successful this league, and a batch of guys are going to get opportunities connected Sunday. On nationalist TV, with millions and millions of radical watching -- a large clip for immoderate of those guys to measurement into the limelight."