Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy isn’t ruling out the possibility of sitting Aaron Rodgers in Week 16 against the Minnesota Vikings. Speaking about his quarterback on Monday, McCarthy said Rodgers is sore and that the team would see what Tuesday brings in terms of potentially having him play.
McCarthy: Aaron Rodgers is sore. He was hit too many times. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 19, 2017
This echoes comments made by McCarthy on Sunday following the team’s 31-24 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
Mike McCarthy wouldn't say if Aaron Rodgers would continue to play if the Packers are eliminated from the playoff race. "Let's focus on today," McCarthy said. "We'll get back and assess it." https://t.co/oAdF3UOBab pic.twitter.com/DHQF1ABXDp
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) December 17, 2017
Rodgers was hit a bunch Sunday by the Panthers. He was sacked three times for 26 yards and hit a total of seven times. He also threw three interceptions and was clearly not 100-percent healthy.
Likely, whether Rodgers plays in Week 16 will have everything to do with whether the Atlanta Falcons win or lose Monday night. If the Falcons win, then the Packers are eliminated from playoff contention with a record of 7-7. If the Falcons lose, then Green Bay still has a slight chance to get in, meaning Rodgers might force his way onto the field.