Rodgers, on the verge of probably his third NFL MVP, has the Packers – a team that still has 17 players tied to Thompson’s term as GM – vying for a return pledge this Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“I am very grateful for Ted. The fact that I was his first choice will always bring us together,” Rodgers said in a statement. “He always preached to put the team first, not to be a distraction, to be a good teammate, to be a good professional, and I always liked those comments.
“He always started the season and talked to the team for a few minutes and always ended with ‘Godspeed’. As he passes by, I want to thank him for what he meant to me, the team and the organization, and wish him well. ‘”
There was a demonstration by former colleagues and players across the NFL on Thursday, tweets and statements to express their gratitude for the opportunity Thompson gave them.
Perhaps there was no one more thankful than former Packers coach Mike McCarthy, the first and only coach Thompson hired at Green Bay.
McCarthy, now the Dallas Cowboys’ head coach, thanked Thompson in a statement for giving him the “opportunity of a lifetime” in 2006, adding: “There has never been a better human being to walk on the playing fields or have a presence in. the scouting rooms.
“He taught me to be patient. I will always remember all the times when he just smiled at me and said, ‘Calm down, boy.’ He has always protected and reinforced the importance of Green Bay Packers tradition and history. It was not enough just to win – it was equally important to win the right way. He exuded these qualities in everything he addressed in football and in life.
“Easy, my friend. What a life you led and what an example you set.”