-- If Aaron Rodgers was trying to send a message to the Green Bay Packers' young receivers after a substandard session of practice last week, that message certainly translated well.

Except the quarterback's comments weren't meant to "send a message" to anyone.

"I hope we're not that soft," Rodgers said after Monday's practice in response to his "piss poor" comments; sentiments that were initially shared as a response to a lack of effort during the carded period of practice. "I hope we can hear comments, read comments and not get offended by things. This is a professional environment, it's not a personal environment.

"The things I'm saying, I don't have some vendetta against any player. I care about winning, number one, and I'm going to say and do things that I feel like can advance us. ... As a human, you like being liked and appreciated, but I’m trying to win games because that’s my job. I’m not asked or needed to make personnel decisions, coaching decisions, schedule decisions; my job is to play quarterback. That’s what they’re paying me to do."

Rodgers was running the scout team last week and the trio of rookie receivers -- and whoever else -- didn't meet his standards in a drill that the Packers have been practicing all throughout Rodgers' tenure in Green Bay. It's easy to see why he would feel passionate about it.

Also, simply because it's vital that J'Mon Moore, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown get on the same page with whoever it is throwing them the ball.

"The new guys need to see the rhythm and the tempo and also understand when I’m out there, everything is up," Rodgers said. "So everything that’s ever been put in, and years of backlogged stuff is potentially in as well. … It’s all up. So you have to be ready.

"The same way that I challenge them in practice at times with certain checks or during walkthroughs with checks, or at practice with checks. It’s going to be the same thing. They need to be ready for everything that comes their way, and the tempo and the feel and the cadence and everything that comes with it."

Rodgers practiced with the first-team offense on Monday, offering a good glimpse into the possibility of him starting the Packers' second preseason game Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Rodgers, entering his 14th NFL season at 34 years old, is the second-oldest player on the Packers' roster. He was the oldest before the team reacquired cornerback Tramon Williams over the offseason. It's only right he assumes a seemingly newfound voice in the locker room.

While he has always been a pinnacle of leadership down the most recent stretch of his career, Rodgers has never been as vocal in addressing offensive weaknesses or mishaps that are within his control of improving. Those kinds of adjustments typically happen behind closed doors without a peep from the two-time MVP.

"I don’t feel like when you make a statement like that, that there needs to be some big response, or feelings hurt, or offense that somebody takes with it. If they do, they’re taking it the wrong way, because this is a professional environment. I’m doing things that I feel like are in the best interest of the team from a leadership standpoint.

"If no one else is going to stand up and criticize a bad practice, then maybe I need to be the one to do it."

Valdes-Scantling was the only receiver in the league to eclipse 100 receiving yards during the first week of the preseason, whereas St. Brown was the team's leading receiver at one point against the Tennesee Titans before finishing the game second in catches and third in receiving yards.

"The guys played well in the game, made some plays, it’s been a good week of practice, it’s been hot, the guys have been competing and making plays. I don’t think that’s a response to anything I’ve said—maybe it is for a couple of them, but it shouldn’t be. You get to this league and to stick around, you have to be self-motivated. As a leader, you try to inspire, but the motivation to change and to improve has to come from within."