Aaron Rodgers takes first-team reps
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) before the game against the Detroit Lions during a NFL football game on Thanksgiving at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
The Green Bay Packers have been admirably playing the cautious card when it comes to Aaron Rodgers’s broken collarbone, and they aren’t rushing him back from an injury that has been slower to heal than expected. There’s always a huge risk if a player returns too early from a collarbone injury, so it’s great to see that the Packers are exercising caution with the best player in the game and leaving things up to the doctors.
Rodgers has as good of a chance as ever to return this week, and his return would be even huger than usual. This week’s rivalry game against the Chicago Bears- the team that broke Rodgers’s collarbone- will decide the NFC North winner and a playoff spot, and Rodgers would likely swing the balance, given how bad the Bears defense is. The Packers could also get explosive wide receiver Randall Cobb back for this week’s game, and that would also be a huge return for this team. Even if Matt Flynn ends up getting the start, Cobb would really give the Packers offense a boost.
ESPN NFL Nation’s Rob Demovsky reports that Aaron Rodgers took first-team reps for every drill open to the media, and this is definitely very encouraging news. The Packers will officially announce Rodgers’s status today for this week’s all-important game, and there’s no doubt that most of us are on the edge of our seats to hear this news; it could decide who wins on Sunday and gets into the playoffs.
Although the fact that Rodgers is taking first-team reps is very encouraging, it doesn’t guarantee that he will play this week. It makes it seem like the Packers expect him to play due to the timing of this news and the official announcement, but it’s worth keeping in mind that both he and Randall Cobb should be considered toss-ups against the Bears.