Ahman Green, Former Green Bay Packers Running Back

Let's head out to the guest line right now and welcome in a former Green Bay Packer. He, of course, did make four ProBalls in his illustrious NFL career.

He did play his college ball at Nebraska and was a third round draft pick back in the 1998 NFL draft by the Seattle Seahawks, and that is Ahmon Green. Ahmon, appreciate the time as always. How you been? I've been good. How you been?

I've been fantastic. So I saw Aaron Rodgers say the other day, the former Packers quarterback, that the last six weeks have been the most fun that he's had in a while, and it's fun to come to work, and he's excited about what he's doing with the New York Jets. When you hear that and you know how it ended in Green Bay, are you at all disappointed that Rodgers said, oh, in six weeks that's the most fun that he's had in a while?

No, I'm not, because he was a person that was in a place that was where he was, and he wasn't happy, and you knew that. You saw that in the interviews. You heard that in press conferences.

You saw it in press conference. So I'm happy for him. That he's in this spot, because at the end of the day, we're all humans.

We're trying to find our niche in life to where we can feel comfortable with ourselves, comfortable around the people that we work with or that we're around every day, family, friends, coworkers, and so I'm very happy for him. I hope his health, I hope that calf gets better so he can get ready for training camp. So for all of that, to hear that, that's music to my ears, because I know, and we all know, when he's healthy, when he's in the proper mind, he's a phenomenal quarterback, and he can help that New York Jets team win. Do you view the Jets as a Super Bowl contender heading into the season? I'd say, going into the season, everybody healthy. Defense will be the defense that it was last year. There is potential for them to be in the race for the Super Bowl.

We've been talking about this for a few years, but this is first time actually being the full-time starting quarterback from the get-go. What are your expectations for the Packers this year? My expectations are, regardless of what David Bakatari is saying or not saying, I can't remember if he's saying rebuilding or not saying rebuilding, but I know that has been a conversation, a subject of conversation, but they are in that kind of space just a little bit because of Jordan taking over his first reign as the starting quarterback. You've got some veterans, obviously, on offense, with the running backs, with the wide receiver core, young tight ends, but they are very talented, so I'm excited to see what they do. Offensive line is still there, and then defense has these returning starters like Rashard Gary coming from the ACL. So, I'm super excited for them, but it's going to be a tough season because as a first-time starting quarterback for a team that has traditionally had previous great quarterbacks, it's just going to be that little lull. It's going to be a lull of learning how to process and be the quarterback that he needs to be for his teammates, learning the defenses and what they're going to throw at him, from the guys in the division, the Vikings, Lions, and the Bears, to the teams outside the division in the AFC.

So, that's going to be the learning process, and it's going to obviously be a whole-season thing. He's going to have some good weeks, he's going to have some bad weeks, he's going to show, he's going to see, we're going to see, oh, he's a first-round jack figure, we're going to see what's going on, but all in all, the biggest thing I hope Jordan does is make it a learning experience, the whole path, because that's how he's going to get better towards the end of the season and then all into 2024. I hate to say it, but it feels as if wins and losses for the Packers this year are kind of irrelevant, and it's just at the end of the year, Aman Green, do you have that feeling that Jordan Love can be the guy to lead the Packers into their next era?

100%. I 100% believe he can do that. He has the weapons, like I said, I love the tight ends, the two tight ends, they drafted one kid from North Dakota, one of the North Dakota schools, and the other kid, I can't think where he's from, but I know the talent. And so, with that, building the team around him, where they already had, I mentioned the running backs, AJ Dillon, Aaron Jones, phenomenal guys, you got a starter in both of them, you know, if they went anywhere else, they'll be starting. If AJ went somewhere else, he would do that. And offensive line has been sometimes a focal point of discussion, but coming healthy right now, hopefully it can stay healthy, and that team of wide receivers, Watson, Dobbs, and then you have some of the younger guys that's going to fight for that third rotation.

You never know, still wide receivers out there that's free agency that have not signed, like DeAndre Hopkins, you never know, just putting it out there, but I think the team around him is enough to give him the support and to progress forward in his first year. What advice would you give to Jordan Love? Like, if you were his teammate and you were kind of viewed as one of those elder statesmen in the locker room, what would you be saying to the young quarterback? First thing is, look, man, don't let the mistakes put you down to mark. You're going to make mistakes. That's how you get better, though. That's how all other quarterbacks on this team, the ones around the league that are Hall of Famers, they made mistakes. You know, I remember my rookie year, Peyton Manning, for any of those quotes, had 28 touchdowns and he had 28 interceptions. Okay?

So, look at him now. So, just view them the mistakes as a learning experience, and don't look at it as a strike against your character, your ability, your athletic ability, any of that. Just look at it as, you know what, Tom Brady went through this, Aaron went through this, Brett went through this, now it's my turn, but this is how I'm going to handle it so I can use it to get better.

That's what I'll let them know. And I also have to imagine there has to be a giant weight off his shoulder, because I know that, hey, it's a business, you've got to be a professional. He's done that, but the last three years, no matter if it was portrayed that Rodgers and Love had a good relationship, that had to be awkward with really, the only way people wanted to talk to you was to see what you would say about your relationship with Aaron and what the heck was actually going on with some of the headlines that happened off the field.

Yeah, it is. It's an awkward situation, but that's where both players, Aaron and Jordan, are being professionals. Being in that situation as the incumbent and then somebody who's already been in the job like Aaron and Jordan have been for the last three seasons, that's something to where you look at, for one, as this guy is my teammate, regardless of where I am in the totem pole. So we've got to work together to support each other, learn things from one another, and to help us as a team and a unit to stay together, and if you don't do that, if there is any type of superficial, any type of argument or anything like that that comes to the surface, then yeah, you'll have those issues, but for the most part, I saw and what I heard from my point of view was all that. It was support from one another, love back and forth, so not a play on words there, but just saying that it was there, and so now I feel that Jordan is comfortable in this time right now to take over as number one QB.

And I would say in the last few weeks, it's easy to root for Jordan, love, because he's handled everything the right way so far in what isn't an ideal situation. I have to imagine, as a player, like if you're a veteran in that locker room, you want to go to war for this guy with just the way that he handled himself the last few years. Yes, I mean, yes, and for being a young guy, that's where for one, as me, if I'm sitting in the same running back room with Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon right now, I'm like, man, we got to give this kid everything we got. We got to make sure we do everything.

When we get that ball, we run as hard as we can. When we have to block somebody, we block to the best of our ability, and anything else beyond that, if it's in the locker room stuff, in the weight room stuff, or just hanging out off field stuff, this will get to know each other to where he can become comfortable, because we know the quarterback position at the Green Bay Packers organization for the history has been very special. From Bart to Brett, it was a transition a long time between quarterbacks, but then between Brett and Aaron now, it's been that almost 40 years of great quarterbacks. So not to have that pressure on them to say he got to come in day one, year one to make that difference. Hey, Brett wasn't great year one.

Aaron wasn't either. They built their careers to where they got to that plateau of greatness. So letting them know that giving them that weekly, daily, monthly minute support of understanding that look, yeah, it's gonna be a little rough, but it's gonna get better and better and easier. And then we're gonna start having fun kicking butt in the NFC North. Would it surprise you if they made the playoffs this year, just because the NFC is not a strong conference right now.

You look at the North, and a lot of people expect Minnesota to regress. We'll see if Detroit could take that next step, and the Bears still have some work to do. Is it crazy to say that this team will make the playoffs this year or could make the playoffs this year?

I'll say it's not crazy. It's always a chance. There's always a chance for teams. We don't know how the season is going to start.

We don't know how it's going to end. It's a long NFL season. So you got 17 games out, so that gives time for teams. As we saw in the first year of 17 games, teams somehow use that extra game, that extra week to get better, to find themselves in a position to be in or out of the game of the playoff race.

So it's a potential. I'm not saying it's crazy. I will say it's not crazy if the Packers make the playoffs this year. Ahmon Green, get into the current state of the running back position. We just saw the Vikings release Dalvin Cook, Saquon Barkley, and Josh Jacobs have franchise tags that they still haven't signed yet. They're looking to get long-term deals from the Giants and also the Las Vegas Raiders. How do you kind of look at the state of the running back position being a former back in this league?

Yeah, it's an unfortunate state, I believe. I believe teams, I don't know if it's coaches, I don't know the GMs, but they're looking at the running back position as an expendable position. When non-biased, and just from an observer, but knowing the game, you've got to have the run game. You can't have a good run game, a good offense without a good run game and a good pass game working together. If you think you can, that means you've got hall of famers across the board at quarterback, wide receiver, and OI.

But you've got to mix it up. That's a part of playing football. That's why, that's where, that was the origins of football way back 100 years ago, was the run game.

A lot of wing tea, a lot of option, RPO, back then when it was black and white on the TV. So to go away from that, to try to make running backs less cost effective for your budget or whatever, and you've got guys that are fantastic running backs, as you mentioned, Dalvin Cook, Saquon Park, Barkley. Those guys are pro bowl guys. Those guys that keep defensive coordinators up at night worrying about how we're going to scheme and stop these guys.

So I would advise Giants and whoever team wants to pick up Dalvin Cook, please do it fast and it's a smart way to help your team out to get a nice little shot in the arm to go into the 2023 season. Because the running backs, even though, like you said, teams are not giving their just due to them, but they are still a real part of the game and the teams that benefit from it, they'll know. Ravens, 49ers, just to name a few, those teams know because they've been doing it for a long time and doing it right and then playoff continuing all in the same. Yeah, I think the way that teams look at it now, I don't think teams say, hey, we don't need a run game because everyone knows you need a run game. I just think the days of a bell cow back being needed to win a championship are kind of over just with how many teams have won and it kind of feels like it's running back by committee and that's what teams are trying to emulate right now to cut costs elsewhere. Yeah, you can do that from time to time and I'll say, you get lucky, that does happen. But if you have that bell cow running back, then you don't have to get lucky.

You got a sure thing coming and I'm a guy who's a sure thing. So I only bet on myself or I only do things if I was a GM or head coach that are sure things. So if I got a guy that I know is a sure thing, I'm giving him his money that he deserves and making sure he's in my backfield to help my quarterback and my own linemen and my wide receivers out. If you were in a position like Josh Jacobs and Saquon Barkley where the team, let's just say, doesn't want to give you a long-term deal and you have that franchise tag there.

I know we saw Le'Veon Bell do this a few years ago. Would you think about sitting out for this upcoming season? Uh, potentially. Would it be my favorite option? No. Because I want to keep playing.

And we know when you're sitting out, the assumption is you're going to get out of shape, your timing's off, your speed's off, your strength is off. So no, that's not preferably my first choice, but from a business standpoint, they got to send a message. If they do it, you know what? It's what they decide to do. That's their business decision to get where they feel they need to be in terms of contract negotiation. Last thing I'll ask you, you talked about Dalvin Cook and where he could potentially wind up.

I keep on circling back to the New York Jets. Wouldn't it surprise me if Aaron Rodgers starts to advocate for Dalvin Cook? Uh, potentially.

I mean, he knows. He played against them. They do have right talk coming back from ACL. And he's still young, so he could heal fast and be back where he was. I was a guy in love with him until he had his ACL.

I know he was well onto a thousand yards in his rookie season, so I'm so excited about the Iowa State running back. So right now, I wouldn't be surprised. He's done it before. He's always made a list of players that he said he's talked to or mentioned to the DM or mentioned in an interview, something like that.

I wouldn't be surprised if he did that. Ahman Green, always great to catch up with you. Thanks for making the time today. Thanks for having me. I appreciate it and I'll see you next time. Talk to you next time.