After winning consecutive NFL MVP awards, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers hasn’t played nearly as well in 2022. The decline has created speculation about the Packers’ plans in 2023 and Rodgers’ desire to play football next year.
Entering Week 12, the Packers sit 11th in the NFC and are fading fast in the NFL standings. In Green Bay’s most recent game against the Tennessee Titans, Rodgers again struggled with accuracy.
- Aaron Rodgers stats (2022): 2,542 pass yards, 19-7 TD-INT ratio, 64.6% completion
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Rodgers is playing through an avulsion fracture in his right thumb. The All-Pro quarterback suffered the injury on Oct. 9 against the New York Giants, likely on his final pass in the 27-22 loss in London.
The injury occurs when an extreme force causes the ligament to tear away from the attachment in the thumb, ripping bone away with it. As doctors told Rapoport, the only way to make a full recovery from an avulsion fracture is by undergoing surgery.
Rodgers has made it clear in recent weeks that the injury he suffered doesn’t require season-ending surgery and he could play through any problems it caused. He will be on the field in Week 12, starting against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football.
However, the diagnosis opens the door for Green Bay to potentially shut Rodgers down late in the year. If the Packers are out of playoff contention by late December, there would be more long-term benefit to starting Jordan Love and seeing what he offers rather than putting Rodgers on the field in meaningless games for the franchise.
While Rodgers will likely continue to downplay the thumb injury, the diagnosis would help explain some of his off-target throws this season. As the weather gets colder, though, it could cause more problems for the veteran quarterback.
However, Green Bay’s passing offense is showing more signs of life recently following the emergence of Christian Watson and the return of veteran wideout Randall Cobb. With rookie Romeo Doubs also closing in on a return, the Packers’ offense could improve down the stretch.