4.66 or 4.71: Inside Aaron Rodgers Disputed 40 Yard Dash
Aaron Rodgers made headlines in February when he called out the official NFL Twitter account for posting a video of his 40-yard dash at the 2005 NFL Combine.
The video shows Rodgers running an unofficial 4.71 second 40-yard dash, which Rodgers contests. He says he ran a 4.66.
So, did Aaron Rodgers run a 4.71 in the 40?
Numerous outlets picked up on his remark with reactions ranging from amusement to incredulity. “No Aaron,” people said. “You ran a 4.71, you silly guy. It’s fun that you want to joke, though!”
Here’s the thing: he may actually be right.
According to former ESPN reporter Len Pasquarelli, the 4.71 time credited to Rodgers was unofficial. He noted in a column that Rodgers also ran an unofficial 4.80 later on the same day.
So why was the time never finalized?
In 2005, only the times of the top five performers from a position group were officially released. Rodgers’ 4.71 time would have tied him for fifth with four other players, so it’s likely that the NFL never actually released the official time.
It’s also important to note the source of Rodgers’ unofficial 4.71 time. According to CBS Sports, when the NFL began televising the Combine, it realized that audiences would want to hear something resembling an official time as soon as a 40-yard dash was completed.
They remedied this problem by sticking then-Houston Texans general manager Charley Casserly in the stands of the RCA Dome and asking him to do his best to come up with a time.
No, seriously.
When did Aaron Rodgers run a 4.66, then?
Given the source of the time and the fact that Rodgers’ 4.71 was never officially confirmed, it’s possible that he received the 4.66 number from another source. Although 40 times are most commonly adjusted to be slower, it’s likely that if Rodgers was told he ran a 4.66, that’s the time he’d go with.
So who told Rodgers that he ran a 4.66?
Well, we don’t know for certain if anybody at the Combine gave him that number, but a fairly prestigious and reputable source did clock Rodgers at a 4.66 in 2005.
That source? The Green Bay Packers.
In 2005, Pete Dougherty, who now works for the Green Bay Press Gazette, wrote for The Capital Times that Aaron Rodgers ran a 4.66 in offseason workouts with the Packers.
If Rodgers didn’t get the 4.66 from someone at the Combine, the number may just have come from the team that ultimately ended up drafting him.