Aaron Rodgers

Rodgers spent his rookie season with the 4-12 Packers as the Packers' backup quarterback behind Brett Favre. He received his first extended look in the opening preseason game against the San Diego Chargers after replacing Favre. He had to endure a malfunctioning radio in his helmet and two offensive flags. In his first NFL game, Rodgers completed two out of seven passes and was sacked twice. He continued to struggle through the preseason, before ending the series-preseason by converting two third downs and throwing a touchdown pass to Tight End Ben Steele against the Tennessee Titans. As the regular season began, Rodgers saw very little action for the rest of the season. He saw some action behind center against the New Orleans Saints in the fourth quarter of a 52-3 victory, and completed his first career pass to Fullback Vonta Leach for yards. Read Less

He completed eight passes out of the 15 attempted for 65 yards and an interception. Rodgers saw one more play at the end of the season against the Seattle Seahawks, taking a knee to end the game.<br /><br /> Though Rodgers played very little in his rookie season, he ran the scout team during practice. His job was to mimic opponents' schemes for the defense for the game the following week. Rodgers said this was critical to his success, and that those were his game reps. The defense and scouts often complained that he was practicing too hard, and at one point asked him to tone it down. He stated that he had probably "rubbed people the wrong way" with how hard he practiced. Wide receiver Donald Driver, commented that Rodgers took "every scout-team possession like it was the last possession of his life." After the losing season of Rodgers' rookie year, head coach Mike Sherman was fired and replaced by current head coach Mike McCarthy. Rodgers was then placed in McCarthy's "Quarterback school" for six hours a day several times a week. This focused on working on his motor skills such as hand-eye coordination, finger dexterity, and mechanics. McCarthy also worked on Rodgers' release point, moving it from right beside the ear hole of his helmet to further below it, to give him a smoother release. He was also instructed to lower his body fat ratio from 15 percent to 12 percent. Read Less