Only a select few centers in the NFL can speak to what it’s like playing for Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Los Angeles Chargers center Corey Linsley is one of them. Before signing with the Chargers last season, Linsley spent the first seven years of his career with the Packers snapping for the future Hall of Fame quarterback.
In an interview with SirusXM NFL Radio, Linsley told the station he saw similarities between Rodgers and his current quarterback, Justin Herbert.
“Aaron has the same thing, that fire, perfectionist-type attitude,” Linsley said. “When Aaron was on, and he can’t be stopped, and you weren’t on, he was gonna let you know. Because he has that perfectionist, competitive fire inside of him. And that’s what Justin has.”
Linsley continued by saying the former Oregon Ducks star Herbert had the same desire to be the best in every aspect of the game – from the field to the weight room.
“He just has that inside of him where he’s just like, ‘I want to be the best, I want to be the best that I can be. I want my team to be the best and I’m not going to let anything stop me,’ Linsley explained. “He watches more film than I’ve ever seen, he’s in the weight room doing weighted pullups, just getting after it, man. I mean it’s 24/7, and that type of mindset speaks to the type of player he’s going to be.”
Linsley’s assertion carries weight, as he was an All-Pro selection for the Packers his last season in Green Bay. He was a stout offensive lineman for the Packers during his tenure and continued that in Los Angeles, making the Pro Bowl with Herbert in 2021.
Rodgers is regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time. He’s a four-time MVP — currently the reigning back-to-back MVP — a Super Bowl champion and a 10-time Pro Bowl selection. The comparison is great news for fans of Herbert.
Herbert, who was recently named the second-best player under 25 in the NFL, is off to arguably the greatest start for a QB in league history. He has the most completions (839) through the first two seasons of a career in NFL history and holds the Chargers single-season records for touchdown passes (38), passing yards (5,014), and completions (443), which were all set this past year.
Whether or not Herbert, 24, will match or surpass Rodgers’ greatness remains to be seen, but he’s on a trajectory to get there based on the first two years of his career.
-- Aron Yohannes
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