Aaron Rodgers hasn't played against the Detroit Lions in either of the last two seasons since leaving the Green Bay Packers, but just because he moved on as a rival doesn't mean he isn't conscious of what's happened in the Motor City.
As Rodgers explained during his Tuesday appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show", public support for Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell from owner Sheila Ford Hamp in 2022 fostered the winning that's taking place in Detroit now.
"They started out the (2022) season 1-6. Do you remember what the sentiment was from the organization? They said (Brad Holmes) is our GM and Dan (Campbell) is our head coach. Since that statement was made, they have won a crazy amount of games. They finished the 2022 season on a high at 9-8. They went 12-5 in 2023. They're 11-1 this year, right? I can tell you that's not a coincidence. That (the statement) happened, and you've seen this shift. Because that's the energy that goes around the building. When the (expletive) head coach is on the hot seat, and maybe the quarterback is on the hot seat or the GM is on the hot seat. Any of the main pieces in the media mind, and the ownership can say, 'hey, this is what we're doing. I don't give a (expletive) about what your opinion is or what's going on, this is the process, we believe in Dan Campbell, we believe in the GM, we believe in Jared Goff.' Whatever the statement was, that goes a long way."
After Ford Hamp's decree of support on October 26, 2022, the Lions went 8-3, narrowly missing the postseason. With public pressure off, Holmes continued to build the roster unencumbered while Campbell coached without concern for his job. As Rodgers points out, the mood around the franchise has been positive since. Now, the Lions have a team that's a Super Bowl contender.
Aaron Rodgers believes NFL owners must give coaches a longer leash
Prior to Holmes and Campbell's arrival, the Lions had a revolving door of coaches and executives dating back to the 2000s. As a result, they struggled to find consistent success. In Rodgers' mind, that isn't a surprise considering programs take time to build and often need vocal support from ownership.
"To change a culture, to change a program takes time. It takes patience, and a lot of ownership around the league doesn't have the patience to let that thing go through. There are certain situations where after a year, you see issues that are just not fixable or maybe you see things that didn't come out in an interview that you just don't like. Or maybe there is off the field stuff that you don't like from the upper levels and you gotta make a change. I understand that. For the most part, whether it's quarterback development or development under a new coach, they need time to do that. But way more important than that, and trust me when I say this, they need the backing of the ownership. Because when that backing is out there and I'm not talking about privately, but privately and publicly, it changes the energy of the entire team."
In October of 2022, there was no question where Ford Hamp stood. She made it clear she was firmly behind Holmes and Campbell, and would give leeway to see the rebuild they were leading through. Unsurprisingly to Rodgers, and perhaps a lot of others, the Lions have reaped the rewards of that patience.