Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is a winner and a leader. After all, he won a Super Bowl at the end of the 2010 season.
By that logic, does that mean Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson isn’t because he hasn’t won a Super Bowl yet? Akin to the “chicken or the egg” problem, are quarterbacks who win titles naturally leaders and winners, or did the outcomes give them an added projection of such leadership and victory?
According to Texans receiver Randall Cobb, who played for the Packers from 2011-18, the work behind the scenes determines how dynamic a quarterback is, not necessarily the final results, team results at that.
“Obviously the perception is one thing but I think the consensus is how does that person come to work every day, how does he get better, what kind of teammate he is, what kind of leader he is,” Cobb said. “Those are the things I think that guys respect more. Just because you win a Super Bowl, obviously that’s an amazing achievement but it’s how do you come back from that, how do you continue to work and push forward and continue to get better and push yourself and your teammates to be the best they can be.”
Cobb joined the Packers as a second-round pick from Kentucky. There was a lockout that offseason, which obliterated the entire offseason program, similar to what has happened with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Packers didn’t miss a beat and posted a 15-1 record with Rodgers taking home NFL MVP honors.
“I got to see that in Green Bay and we’re chasing that here,” said Cobb. “I think that we have the pieces. It’s now going out on the field and putting it all together.”
The big piece the Texans have is a capable franchise quarterback under center in Watson. If the other pieces can perform at a high level, the Texans should be able to contend for a championship.
