Former Green Bay Packers General Manager Ted Thompson has died. The former GM passed away on Wednesday (Jan. 20) evening. Thompson was 68-years-old.
In recent years, Thompson had been in worsening health-related to a disorder of the autonomic nervous system. What caused Thompson’s death hasn’t been revealed. Thompson was GM for the Packers from 2005 to 2017. But he stepped away from the role after 12 years due to the disorder. After his exit, he also remained on as a consultant for the team.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur announced his death and also paid tribute to the late GM’s legacy.
“Our condolences go out to his family,” LaFleur told ESPN. “Certainly he’s a guy that’s held in the highest regard in this building and I think just around the league. He’s had a tremendous impact, not only on people in this building and obviously Gutey [current Packers GM Brian Gutekunst] and a lot of our personnel people, but people in other departments as well.
“His impact is still felt to this day when you look at our roster, but I think he’s had a tremendous impact amongst many people across the league when you look at the other GMs that have learned under him.”
Ted Thompson Recruited Aaron Rodgers
One of Thompson’s biggest legacies with the team was recruiting quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the 2005 draft. At the time, Thompson gambled on the young quarterback by trading away veteran Brett Favre in 2008.
He also hired Mike McCarthy as head coach. Together they crafted a team that took the Packers to eight consecutive playoffs. The Packers also played in the NFC Championship four times during Thompson’s tenure and won the Super Bowl in 2010.
“To have the courage at that time to do that, and what that one decision did for the organization for how many years later, that stuck with me,” current General Manager Brian Gutekunst said. “It could have been real easy to do something different. He thought that was the right thing to do, and he did it. That’s always stuck with me.”
A former NFL player, Thompson first got his start back in 1992 as a scout for the Packers. He stayed with the team eight years before moving to Seattle to be Vice President of Football Operations for the Seahawks. But Green Bay would always be his home. He returned to the team as general manager.
In 2019, Thompson was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.
