New Packers coach very familiar with Kirk Cousins

January 9, 2019 at 1:19AM

The Packers on Tuesday hired Matt LaFleur, 39, to be their next head coach. The well-traveled coach, most recently the offensive coordinator with the Titans, inherits a future Hall of Fame QB in Aaron Rodgers (who at age 35 is just four years younger than him).

And it stands to reason that La- Fleur also has quite a bit of admiration and respect for the Vikings quarterback.

His first big break in the NFL came when he took a job as Washington's QB coach in 2010. He stayed in that role for four seasons and was there in 2012 when the Redskins drafted Robert Griffin III in the first round — and then Kirk Cousins in the fourth round.

Cousins, for his part, credited LaFleur with some of his early development. He said this in a 2015 interview: "I always felt like Matt LaFleur … did a great job of spending time with me, working hard to make sure I was prepared as I could possibly be."

Read Michael Rand's blog at startribune.com/randball. michael.rand@startribune.com.

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