Rodgers Not Ready To Shut It Down Just Yet
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Knocked out of Sunday night’s loss at the Philadelphia Eagles with injured ribs, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers intends to play in next week’s game at the Chicago Bears.
“As long as I check out OK tomorrow,” Rodgers said after a 40-33 loss to the Eagles in which he missed the final 11 minutes. “I might not be able to go Wednesday but, as long as there’s no major structural damage, I’ll try to get back out there.”
The loss was Green Bay’s seventh in eight games and sent its record spiraling to 4-8. Rodgers said he’d like to continue playing as long as the team is not mathematically eliminated from the playoff race. However, if/when the Packers’ playoff hopes are officially dead, he sounded willing to step aside for Jordan Love.
“There’s obviously a lot of other conversations that come into play once you’re eliminated and I’ll be open to all those conversations,” Rodgers said. “Pride comes to mind. Love of the game. But there’s other factors that, obviously, would come into play should we be mathematically eliminated.”
While the team said it was an oblique injury, Rodgers said it was ribs. According to Rodgers, the injury initially was sustained in the second quarter, and it was aggravated on the opening series of the third quarter when he was sacked on third down.
“I was about to call a pass and I could tell he wasn’t feeling right,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “So, we kept going run after run after run, and we mixed in a couple run solutions. And you could see when he threw them out, he was kind of bending over and wincing. So, I knew that he was in a lot of pain.”
Rodgers came back out for the next series. He opened it with an 11-yard completion to Christian Watson. The next eight plays consisted of six runs and two passes into the flat to running back AJ Dillon. Ultimately, Green Bay settled for a field goal to cut the margin to 34-23. As he walked off the field, Rodgers and LaFleur exchanged fist-bumps. Rodgers then went to the locker room because of intense pain, difficulty breathing and fears of a punctured lung.
“This is one of the toughest dudes that I’ve ever been around, so I don’t ever for one second question his toughness, his desire to be out there, his desire to compete,” LaFleur said. “Matter of fact, he apologized to me and I’m like, ‘Don’t ever apologize to me.’ Like, I’ll never question that. This guy is the ultimate competitor.”
Rodgers said the lung checked out fine. X-rays on the ribs were muddled, though, so he’ll have more X-rays on Monday in Green Bay.
“Pain was intense. Still is,” Rodgers said. “The pain was tough. I just really couldn’t breathe and couldn’t really rotate my upper body.”
The injury was the latest blow for Rodgers, who started his seventh game since suffering a thumb injury on the final play against the Giants in London on Oct. 9.
On Sunday morning, NFL Network reported Rodgers’ injured thumb is an avulsion fracture – meaning a break and a torn ligament. According to Ian Rapoport, surgery “almost always” is required following the injury. Rodgers, though, said he and the team physician, Dr. Pat McKenzie, “haven’t had that discussion.”
Indeed, following a few extra days off following last Thursday’s loss to Tennessee, Rodgers threw the ball well against the Eagles’ superb pass defense. He went 11-of-16 for 140 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions, one a poor throw that hit off cornerback Darius Slay’s helmet and was picked off at the sideline on the opening possession. The second came in the second quarter when tight end Tyler Davis ran the wrong route; Rodgers was kicking himself for throwing it to him, anyway.
“It felt pretty good this week,” Rodgers said. “The five days off helped. Didn’t get it banged at all. So, I feel like it’s definitely better than it was last week.”
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