Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had himself an elite outing Sunday night against the hapless Chicago Bears.
The reigning NFL MVP completed 29-of-37 passes for 341 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions in a 45-30 win. Rodgers led the Pack to a combined 38 points in the second and third quarter, overcoming a somewhat slow start in the process.
After the game, Rodgers talked about his fractured toe in detail. In speaking with reporters in his post-game press conference, the future Hall of Fame quarterback said that he suffered a setback during the game. While Rodgers also indicated that surgery is a last resort, he would not rule it out.
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This could be an absolutely huge development for the Packers and the rest of the NFC. Rodgers has Green Bay at 10-3 on the season and battling for the No. 1 seed in the conference. It likely has to win out in order to overtake the Cardinals and earn a first-round playoff bye.
Aaron Rodgers injury and impact on the Green Bay Packers
Obviously, surgery would likely sideline Rodgers for the remainder of the season. As the reigning league MVP, that’s no small thing. It’s also magnified by the fact that 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love has struggled in limited action as a sophomore.
Already pretty much locked into a playoff spot, there’s a chance that Green Bay simply opts to rest Rodgers for a week or two and see if that helps him. As of right now, Green Bay would host the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wildcard Playoffs.
Next week sees Green Bay go up against the Baltimore Ravens. The team then hosts the Cleveland Browns on Christmas Day before closing up shop with rivalry games against the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions.
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As for the 38-year-old Rodgers, he continues to perform at a high level. In 12 starts this season, Rodgers has completed 67.3% of his passes for 3,219 yards with 27 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He’s as important to his team as any player in the NFL.
The question now becomes whether Aaron Rodgers believes having surgery is the best course of action for him individually. Remember, there’s a darn good chance that he’ll be dealt this coming off-season after requesting a trade ahead of the 2021 season.