Matt LaFleur on Aaron Rodgers Trade Affecting Packers: GB Vets are 'Prideful Dudes'

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur isn't sure whether Aaron Rodgers' departure had much of an impact on how his players approached the 2023 NFL season.

LaFleur admitted to The MMQB's Albert Breer he wasn't sure how the team reacted to the Rodgers trade but added it might have been business as usual for the most part.

"I mean, you're talking about some of the better players at their respective positions in the league, so I'm sure these guys have a lot of confidence," he said. "As far as it affects them? I'll be honest with you, I don't know. I think they're prideful dudes and they just love to compete and it really doesn't matter. They're just trying to put their best out there each and every day and let it show through on Sundays."

The new Packers certainly looked like the old Packers on Sunday as they rolled to a 38-20 win over the Chicago Bears. The early returns on Jordan Love are promising as he finished 15-of-27 for 245 yards and three touchdowns in the first game of the post-Rodgers era.

Most assumed this would be a bit of a transitional year for Green Bay given Love's ascension along with the fact the team missed the playoffs altogether with Rodgers in 2022. General manager Brian Gutekunst himself seemed to admit Love was a largely unknown quantity when speaking about the fifth-year option in his contract.

But the fears about the Packers' short-term direction might be unfounded based on Week 1.