Matt LaFleur: Aaron Rodgers played 'significant role' in Tom Clements' return to Packers

There may be yet another clue that quarterback and four-time NFL Most Valuable Player Aaron Rodgers is seemingly closer to returning to the Green Bay Packers for at least one more season than he is to retiring or requesting a trade. 

The Packers raised eyes last month when they brought former assistant Tom Clements out of retirement to serve as quarterbacks coach. Clements worked with Rodgers for a decade earlier in their careers and is believed to be one of the future Hall of Famer's favorite coaches, but a report later claimed that Clements' return guaranteed nothing regarding Rodgers' plans for 2022. 

Per Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk, though, Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters Wednesday that Rodgers played a "significant role" in Clements ending his retirement to rejoin the Packers. 

"Certainly when you have a player of (Rodgers’) caliber, as important as he’s been to this organization and then when he credits and gives somebody like that so much praise like to me you’d be foolish not to listen to that, so that’s why I wanted to go sit down with Tom," LaFleur explained. 

LaFleur added he's stayed in touch with Rodgers this offseason but is attempting "to be respectful of his time and the process he has to go through" before the signal-caller informs the Packers of his intentions. 

On Tuesday, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said he has not received trade calls about Rodgers' services this winter.