National Football League

Aaron Rodgers explains the three areas of his game he wants to improve

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:25 p.m. ET

Cameron DaSilva

Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers had a down season in 2015. Sure, they finished 10-6 and reached the divisional round of the playoffs, but they failed to meet expectations -- particularly Rodgers.

He had the lowest completion percentage of his career (60.7) and failed to reach 4,000 yards for just the second time, excluding 2013 when he played nine games. By nearly every measure, it was the worst season of his career despite throwing 31 touchdowns and just eight interceptions.

Injuries played a role in that, but Rodgers will be the first to admit he wasn’t himself last season. And he did just that when speaking to Peter King of The MMQB.

“I was down in my passer rating, I was down in my completion percentage, I was down in my red zone stats,” Rodgers said. “There were some external factors that contributed to that—the loss of a guy who had 98 catches and 1,500 yards the year before—and there were some injuries. But I can’t control those things."

Now entering 2016, it’s a new season with a healthy group of receivers. Jordy Nelson is back, Randall Cobb is moving back to his usual No. 2 role and Eddie Lacy is slimmed down and ready to go. There are still areas in which Rodgers wants to improve, though.

They aren’t statistics that he wants to build upon from last season -- they’re specific parts of his play and preparation.

Footwork, flexibility and food.

The first is obvious, as his footwork was noticeably off last season. He rushed throws and often didn’t set his feet, preventing him from driving the ball downfield. This is something Rodgers has been notorious for and applauded for, given that he can make throws from any position, but it hurt him in certain instances.

“The times when I am not perfect with my feet are the time when I am not going to be as accurate,” Rodgers said. “It’s trying to continue to strive for perfection with balance and rhythm and footwork. When I do that, I am at my best and I am very accurate and I can throw around 70 percent.”

His flexibility has more to do with his shoulder and throwing motion than his ability to, say, touch his toes. Having the freedom to make throws with obscure arm angles is a part of Rodgers’ game that he will look to regain in 2016.

“That’s my game, to have the ability to move outside the pocket and extend plays and make things happen,” he said. “But also to have that flexibility in my shoulder and not be locked up, to have the fluidity in my throwing motion.”

The last area of improvement is atypical but one that Rodgers has taken strong consideration into. His diet. Adam Korzun is the director of performance nutrition for the U.S. Olympic team and works with the Packers. Rodgers hopes the Packers “never lose him” as he’s helped with nutrition and eating habits.

If Rodgers can get better in each of those areas, the Packers will be in good shape. And as he said it, he’s “going all in for this year because next year is not a given.” The Packers are certainly a team to watch as a Super Bowl contender.