Aaron Rodgers has thrown 139 touchdowns against just 25 interceptions over the past four years.

“I was always pretty good with the football,” Rodgers said. “My touchdown to interception ratio, I think, was 24-to-8 my junior year at Cal, 19-to-5 my sophomore year. And I was 28-to-4 at Butte College. I don’t remember what I was in high school but I was probably about 2-to-1.

“I knew that from eighth grade, when I started playing football, and on, the only way I was going to be able to stay on the field was if I made good decisions and didn’t turn the ball over. I was in a three-way quarterback competition as an eighth-grader and I got the job in the third week. I threw an interception on the first drive, but was able to hold on to the job somehow. I was in a quarterback competition at Butte Junior College and a quarterback competition at Cal and I knew decision-making was the way I was going to be able to stay out on the field. It’s about calculated risks.

“Here, I think the structure of the offense helps. With the West Coast offense, there is an answer for every defense and it’s about finding the highest percentage throw on each play. That’s why we don’t have one go-to guy. We had two guys with 90-plus catches last year but we don’t have a go-to guy. We might have a go-to guy on plays, but it’s all about matchups and finding the high-percentage pass on that play. It might not be a pass to a guy who is necessarily open, but it could be the highest percentage pass based on the coverage and that is what the West Coast offense allows you to do. A lot of time here is a conceptual to one side, and then there is an option on the backside—it could be a go route or a double move. And you always have your check downs involved as well. We’ve just learned that over the years in this system that in order to get to where we want to go, you need to find where that highest percentage option is before that play.”

Rodgers has long been one of the NFL's best quarterbacks, but he also enjoys the collaborative nature of the job with his coaches.

“Throwing six interceptions in a season, throwing five interceptions in a season and both years, over 38 touchdown passes, that is pretty hard to do,” said Rodgers. “But a lot of that comes back to the guys coaching you, too. Jeff Tedford in college, Mike and Joe and Tom and Alex… like I said, I love being coached. I love talking football with smart coaches. I love the input, the dialogue, the conversation. I love feeling like I need to play well for my coach, like he is expecting me to play well. It’s fun to be able to make all those coaches proud.”