Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers returned to practice Saturday, just six weeks after breaking his collarbone against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 6.
Aaron Rodgers returns to Packers practice just 6 weeks after breaking his collarbone
Rodgers broke his collarbone in Week 6 and was expected to miss eight weeks. But after six weeks of rehabilitating, he’s back at practice.
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The Packers placed the two-time league MVP on injured reserve on Oct. 20. Rodgers isn’t eligible to return to live-game action for two more weeks, but participating in team practices is a good start for him.
What happened? During the Vikings-Packers Week 6 showdown in Minnesota, Rodgers absorbed a huge hit from linebacker Anthony Barr and fell hard on his throwing shoulder. Rodgers was on the turf in pain and was later carted off the field. Backup quarterback Brett Hundley came in and played the rest of the game, but the Vikings won, 23-10.
Later that week, the Packers announced that Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone and placed him injured reserve. His surgery was a success, but the earliest he could return, due to the NFL’s injured reserve rules, was eight weeks later, or in Week 15.
Green Bay and Minnesota went back and forth with one another about whether the hit was dirty or not. About two weeks after Rodgers broke his collarbone, he appeared on Conan and said Barr made some indecent gestures to him following the gruesome hit. Barr responded, saying Rodgers called him all “kinds of names” first.
At that point, Green Bay sat at 4-2 and gave Hundley, a fifth-round draft pick in 2015, the nod at quarterback.
The Packers struggled without Rodgers, which was expected. Replacing a surefire Hall of Famer in Rodgers isn’t easy, and Hundley proved that early and too often. This Packers team spiraled out of control during Rodgers’ absence, losing five of their next six games.
Hundley racked up 1,185 passing yards to go along with five touchdowns and seven interceptions this season. But he’s also coming off his best game as a pro against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12 — though the Packers still lost.
Fortunately for Green Bay, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy told the team website on Friday that Rodgers had a workout scheduled for the day and would evaluate him.
“We’re looking tomorrow to potentially practice him in a trial return. That’s the outlook. We’ll determine that tomorrow after his work today,” McCarthy said.
But even though Green Bay’s playoff hopes are hanging by a thread, the team has to be excited about Rodgers’ progress.
Why is this important? First and foremost, collarbone injuries are serious, so it’s great to see Rodgers healthy again. This isn’t the first time he suffered fractured collarbone, either. It also happened in 2013, but Rodgers returned in Week 17 to help the Packers beat the Chicago Bears for the NFC North crown.
When healthy, Rodgers is arguably one of the most exciting players to watch in the NFL. And in a season that has had so many stars — including Odell Beckham Jr., J.J. Watt, and Deshaun Watson — lost to injury, Rodgers’ return is good news for football fans, especially the ones in Green Bay.
The Packers are 5-6 and sit in third place in the NFC North. The Minnesota Vikings are 9-2 and will be hard to catch in the division. The Packers can still compete for a wild card spot, but the race in the NFC is very competitive.
Rodgers isn’t eligible to return until Week 15 against the Carolina Panthers, so the Packers will still start Hundley against the Bucs and Browns. If Rodgers is healthy enough after that, he could play the last three weeks of the season. However, it might not make sense to put him out there if Green Bay gets eliminated from playoff contention.
Still, a Rogers return would galvanize this fan base and the team.
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