One of the biggest early questions surrounding Aaron Rodgers is how much of an impact he will have on rookie sixth-round pick Will Howard? Will he care at all to mentor him, or is he here to ride off into the sunset by his lonesome?

During Rodgers’ formative years with the Packers, it was well known that Brett Favre, the quarterback he was drafted to follow in the footsteps of, wasn’t exactly the best mentor.

In a 2016 interview with Graham Bensinger, Favre said it was not his job to mentor Rodgers and that he didn’t know him.

The Packers put Rodgers in a similar situation in 2020, when they drafted Jordan Love in the first round, signaling that Rodgers’ time would soon end.

From afar, I didn’t know if Rodgers felt the need to be a positive influence or supportive presence for Love, given his icy demeanor. But when talking with Andy Herman, host of the Pack a Day podcast, it felt as if most who covered the team thought he did all he could to help not just Love, but every player in the quarterback room.

He said that because of what he went through with Favre, he didn’t want to do the same to Jordan (Love), and won’t want to do that to anyone in Pittsburgh.

“He is going to show them everything,” Herman said. “[Rodgers is going to] lead by example and do everything he can to set them up for success.

This certainly bodes well for Howard, who Rodgers had great things to say about after his first mini-camp practice.

“Will’s a good kid,” Rodgers said. “Thought he looked good today… I’m gonna be with him every single day and every single meeting… I’m gonna help him out as much as I can.”

I think we all should feel reassured that these aren’t false promises, although when it comes to Rodgers, you just never know.