Will Aaron Rodgers start for the Packers this week?
RODGERS BACK! (Maybe).
The Green Bay Packers have their quarterback back. Sort of.
On Tuesday night, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers posted on Instagram that he has been medically cleared to play. There is still no word on whether he will start this week against the Panthers.
What happened?
Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone during a mid-October game against the Minnesota Vikings, and was subsequently placed on the IR. The injury happened with linebacker Anthony Barr tackled him, driving his right throwing shoulder into the ground.
The surgery required a series of metal plates and screws to hold his collarbone in place.
Rodgers has been pretty aggressive in his rehabilitation with the goal of getting back onto the field this season. At the end of last month, Rodgers’ teammates were talking up just how good he looked throwing the ball in practice with the group of players rehabbing injuries.
“To watch Aaron, what he’s been doing in there, I think we probably should have kept him off IR,” Matthews said two weeks ago. “The way he’s coming along, some of the balls he’s throwing, accuracy-wise, everything a quarterback has to do — (it) is pretty remarkable.”
He returned to practice officially on Dec. 2. That drew rave reviews too.
“Aaron looked great yesterday at practice and I think it definitely gives your football team a shot,” Packers head coach McCarthy said at the time.
It’s a telling quote because Rodgers is finally ready to play again, just in time to lead a last-ditch playoff push for the Packers over their last three must-win games.
Will Rodgers start this week against the Panthers?
The main question as to whether or not Rodgers would get the green light this weekend was always a matter of health. Was his surgically repaired collarbone healed enough to take the field? Was his body ready to resume football after eight weeks on the shelf?
The fact that he got medical clearance is a pretty good sign that he’s in good enough shape to play.
Several reports have suggested that he will play this week against the Panthers, but there’s no official word from the team to this point.
Can the Packers make the playoffs now?
Since Rodgers’ injury, the Packers have had to turn to Brett Hundley, who Green Bay drafted in 2016. As the starter, he’s thrown for 1,533 yards and eight touchdowns and eight interceptions, and Green Bay has gone 3-4 with him under center.
With the Packers still second in the NFC North, getting Rodgers back, if he does end up starting, is huge with upcoming games against the Carolina Panthers, Minnesota Vikings, and Detroit Lions over the next three weeks. The Packers will have to win all three if they’re going to make the playoffs.
Kudos to Rodgers for being able to get back before the season’s end.