Tom Clements will return as Packers and Jordan Love’s QB Coach
By Paul Bretl
The Green Bay Packers announced their finalized coaching staff for the 2023 season on Friday, and the most notable aspect of that wasn’t that Rich Bisaccia had been named the assistant head coach or that Greg Williams was replacing Jerry Gray, but rather it was the change that didn’t happen. Tom Clements will still be in Green Bay as the Packers’ quarterbacks coach.
With it looking increasingly likely that Rodgers is going to end up either a New York Jet or retiring, there was some uncertainty around what the future held for Clements. Would he retire without Rodgers in Green Bay? Or would he follow him to wherever he ended up? All of which is a moot point now.
Clements came out of retirement in 2022 to rejoin the Packers coaching staff. He and Aaron Rodgers have a close relationship – which is likely a big reason why Clements returned – and it’s Clements who Rodgers often credits when discussing his early career success and development.
Given Clements’ track record with Rodgers, it’s probably not a coincidence that in his first season back in Green Bay, we saw Jordan Love make a big jump in Year 3. In fact, the improvements were so significant that the Packers’ organization now has the confidence that Love is ready to be a starting quarterback – something they didn’t have last offseason – as they now try to trade Rodgers, just one year after signing him to a massive extension.
It was in the fourth quarter of the Packers’ loss to Philadelphia in 2022 when many outside of the Packers organization began to take notice of Love’s development. Compared to the player we saw in Kansas City the year before, he looked completely different. He was confident in the pocket and decisive in his decision-making. His footwork was balanced, his accuracy was improved, and he went through his progressions with poise. Love would complete six of nine passes for 113 yards and a touchdown.
With Clements back as the quarterbacks coach last summer, it was back to the basics for Jordan Love, with a specific emphasis on his footwork. Footwork is a core fundamental to playing the quarterback position. If the quarterback is balanced and his feet are moving with his eyes as he works through his progressions, everything else falls in line. Success as a passer begins here.
Over the summer, Love’s confidence began to grow under Clements, and it “snowballed” as the season progressed, according to running back Aaron Jones. Clements was also pleased with the progress Love had made.
"“He’s probably getting to the point where the game has slowed down for him,” said Clements in December via Packers.com. “When that happens, you kind of see things in slow motion. You see where guys are moving, you see where guys should go, and you’re able to react quickly.“It’s the things we’ve worked on the most, which is footwork, the proper drop, going through your progression, not getting stuck on a receiver, not being late with the ball. We work on different route concepts each week, we did a lot in the spring, but then you have to see it play out when you have a defense out there. You have to be able to go from 1-2-3 to your outlet quickly. You can’t lock on a guy. You have to process information quickly, figure out where to go, and your footwork plays into that as well. If your feet are right and you’re seeing things right, you’re able to decide where to go with the ball. His footwork, rhythm and getting the ball off on time is where he’s gotten a lot better.”"
As Brian Gutekunst said while at the NFL Combine, the next step for Love in his progression is to play consistently. Although there is confidence throughout the organization in Love’s abilities to lead this Packers team, we would be naive to think that there won’t be some ups and downs that come with being a first-year starter. However, the good news is that Clements will be there to help Love navigate those waters.