Aaron Rodgers: Packers need to 'reload,' not rebuild

ATLANTA – Even after a lopsided 44-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers doesn’t think his team needs major changes to win more games next year.

“I don’t think we need to rebuild. We need to reload,” Rodgers said. “We have a lot of players who are young who are big contributors for us. We just need to reload a bit this offseason.”

At the top of that priority list, Rodgers said, is re-signing tight end Jared Cook, who played on a one-year deal this season.

But Sunday’s loss in Atlanta revealed other areas where the Packers need to improve around 33-year-old Rodgers.

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Green Bay’s offensive line depth was decimated against the Falcons, after injuries to guards Lane Taylor and T.J. Lang and tackle Bryan Bulaga. And the running game was non-existent, like it was for much of the year after Eddie Lacy’s season-ending foot injury in October. The Packers rushed for just 99 yards against Atlanta – with 46 of those yards coming from Rodgers on scramble plays.

Sunday’s loss was a disappointing end to Rodgers’ hot streak, as the Packers won eight consecutive games to reach the NFC title game. During that run, Rodgers threw 21 touchdowns and just one interception. Sunday in Atlanta, he added three more touchdowns, all in the second half, and threw one pick, while his 287 passing yards was his fewest since Week 15.

“I still feel pretty young,” Rodgers said. “I think I have a number of years left in me to play at a high level, and we just have to make sure we’re going all in every year to win. I think we can take a big step this offseason.”

Now Rodgers will have to wait until spring to see if general manager Ted Thompson was listening.

Follow Lindsay H. Jones on Twitter @bylindsayhjones.

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