GREEN BAY — What a swell guy that Aaron Rodgers is. Goes out and breaks his collarbone just so his old pal Matt Flynn can come back to the Green Bay Packers.
"I have been a good friend to him," Rodgers joked on his weekly radio show on 540 ESPN and ESPNWisconsin.com Tuesday, shortly before the Packers officially announced that Flynn had indeed been signed to the roster and veteran backup quarterback Seneca Wallace had been placed on season-ending injured reserve with the groin injury he suffered against Philadelphia on Sunday, when he started in Rodgers' place and lasted only one series.
"It's been kind of a one-way relationship though. I haven't gotten a lot of that friendship in return."
Rodgers was kidding, of course, and it's hard to imagine anyone being more excited about the team bringing back Flynn, who backed up Rodgers from 2008 through 2011 before signing as an unrestricted free agent with Seattle in March 2012.
Flynn was a seventh-round pick out of LSU in 2008, Rodgers' first season as the starter following the retirement of future Hall of Famer Brett Favre, and the two became fast friends as Flynn beat out rookie second-round pick Brian Brohm in training camp for the No. 2 job.
Flynn has been with three teams since leaving the Packers, having been beaten out by then-rookie Russell Wilson for the Seahawks' starting job last season; traded to Oakland during the offseason for two draft picks before losing out to Terrelle Pryor for the Raiders' job and getting cut Oct. 7 after one start; and a one-week stint with the Buffalo Bills after that team was decimated by quarterback injuries.
Flynn was cut by the Bills on Nov. 4, and that night, Rodgers broke his left collarbone against Chicago. A week later, he worked out for the team on Monday morning, agreed to terms later in the day and will be on the practice field Wednesday. He'll serve as the backup behind Scott Tolzien, whom coach Mike McCarthy named as the starter for Sunday's game against the New York Giants after Tolzien played well against the Eagles.
"I was in doing some treatment (on Monday) and got to see him after his workout," Rodgers said. "The fun thing about seeing old teammates is when you can immediately go back into the same inside jokes and laughs you had when he was here. We had probably as many as we've ever had — inside jokes, handshakes, quips we say to each other. It was fun to see him. Obviously the workout went well, and it'll be fun."
Asked how much the offense has changed since Flynn threw for 480 yards and six touchdowns on Jan. 1, 2012 against the Detroit Lions in the 2011 regular-season finale, Rodgers replied, "There's always change, things that cycle out of the offense, things that come back from years before. Terminology changes a little bit; signals obviously change. But I'm sure Matt's going to have no problem picking it up."
Meanwhile, Rodgers expressed disappointment that Wallace's time with the Packers appears over. It seems unlikely that his groin injury was serious enough to end his season, but with injuries up and down the depth chart, the Packers couldn't carry four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster.
"I really enjoyed my time with Seneca. He was a pro's pro," Rodgers said. "I learned a lot from being around him and just enjoyed his perspective on life and football. We'll miss him."
Jason Wilde wrote: