Quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wide receiver Randall Cobb have a close relationship, and Rodgers expressed just how attached they are after Cobb signed with the Dallas Cowboys.
The Packers quarterback went poetic on Instagram to capture his feelings, channeling a movie quote made famous by actor Morgan Freeman's character, Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding, in The Shawshank Redemption, which was nominated for seven Academy Awards in 1995.
"I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged," Rodgers wrote. "And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice. Still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they're gone. I guess I just miss my friend."
Rodgers and Cobb spent eight seasons together with the Packers, and their chemistry was clear on the football field.
With Rodgers as his quarterback, the 5-foot-10, 192-pound Cobb totaled 470 catches for 5,524 yards and 41 touchdowns while developing into one of the league's top slot wide receivers. Cobb's best season came in 2014, when he produced 91 catches for 1,270 yards and 12 touchdowns to earn Pro Bowl honors.
Meanwhile, Rodgers has seen transition at the wide receiver position over the past two offseasons, so there's no faulting the emotions.
In addition to losing Cobb, the long-time Packers quarterback watched the departure of another close friend in Jordy Nelson, who spent the 2018 season with the Oakland Raiders after 10 seasons in Green Bay.
Such is the nature of free agency, though, and players fly off to other destinations. But like the movie, maybe there will be a happy ending at some point after their playing careers are over when Rodgers, Cobb and Nelson can reunite on an empty beach in Zihuatanejo, Mexico.
