Jamie Squire / Getty Images

Green Bay runs a play against the Seattle defense. The Packers beat the Seahawks on Saturday, 42-20.

He takes issue with everything from Hasselbeck’s clothes to his comedic routines, and the quarterback said it wasn’t until this season that he finally found a way to make sense of Holmgren’s sideline rants. It’s probably not a coincidence that Hasselbeck also had his finest season, setting Seattle records for yards, completions and attempts, and earning his third trip to the Pro Bowl.

Alexander arrived in the NFL with star power, which automatically put him at odds with the old-school Holmgren. Holmgren doesn’t believe in entourages or perks, and the next time you hear him bragging will be the first.

Alexander might be the workhorse of Seattle’s offense, but it hasn’t spared him from getting bawled out a time or two.

“My whole career, Mike has always given me an incredibly hard time and I’ve given him an incredibly hard time right back,” Alexander said. “If you’re an outsider, you’d think we were always butting heads. I told him, ’I’m like your Brett Favre.”’

For all the yelling, what comes through loudest and clearest is the respect and love all Holmgren’s players have for him. Asked if he knows what Holmgren is thinking about next season, the usually boisterous Alexander quietly said he did but that he didn’t want to talk about it.

“The one thing I wish,” he said a few minutes later, “is that I would be able to give him a Super Bowl like Brett did.”

Or at least a better send-off.

More news

NBC Sports

What's up with Alex and Cam?

  SportsTalk: 49ers quarterback Alex Smith rips on Panthers' second-year QB Cam Newton.

NBC Sports

Sanchez looking over his shoulder at Tebow?

  SportsTalk: Is Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez concerned about being benched for Tim Tebow? It's possible.

Headlines

• Label

PFT: Jeff Garcia still wants to play in the NFL

PFT: Ex-Dolphin testifies in bizarre murder case

PFT Live: Top picks bring QB competitions

PFT: Williams tape may hinder 'Hard Knocks'

PFT Live: Cardinals' DB Campbell is excited

PFT: Polamalu thinks kids should play football

PFT: Vanderjagt attacks kid for 'wide left' taunt?

PFT Live: Is Cowboys' title window closing?