Green Bay Packers: Was starting Aaron Rodgers the right move?

With playoff hopes on the line, the Green Bay Packers started Aaron Rodgers in Week 15. It’s clear he wasn’t 100 percent though, so was it the right move?

At 7-7 heading into Week 15, the Green Bay Packers basically needed to win out the regular season. Due to that, an Aaron Rodgers return seemed to be the shot in the arm the team would need. Nearly everyone wanted to see the return of Rodgers. I’ll admit, I was a major advocate for it myself. After all, a not 100 percent Rodgers is still better than most other quarterbacks in the NFL right?

Well that all depends on how close he really is to 100 percent. After his performance on Sunday, it’s safe to say he wasn’t even in the ballpark.

A look at the stats will tell you he actually played pretty well. In fact, other than the three intercepts, Rodgers had a strong outing. He even had the Packers in position to tie the game late in the fourth. A Geronimo Allison fumble thwarted the efforts though.

I still hold onto the belief that Rodgers gave them the best chance to win. Looking into the future prospects of the Packers, and Rodgers career, this was the wrong move though.

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Multiple severe under-throws and a slight hesitation to run for most of the game point to the problem. The quarterback’s collarbone wasn’t nearly ready for game time. Rushing back from any injury could be detrimental to the career of a player. Therefore, it has to be done with caution.

Sure, Rodgers was cleared to play, but that doesn’t mean everything was at 100 percent. Green Bay’s haste to put him back on injured reserve after being eliminated from the playoffs should tell you all you need to know.

In the end, was risking Rodgers career (and the future of the franchise) worth challenging the already slim chance the Packers had of making the playoffs?

Next: NFL: 5 Teams on upset alert in Week 16

While Brett Hundley has been a mixed bag, he’s shown he can win games when he’s at his best. Although he’s no Rodgers (not many are), the young quarterback has been competent at the position. He’ll more-than-likely get a chance to prove himself two more times this year. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers will be back on the IR, maybe he never should’ve gotten off it.