Aaron Rodgers is eligible to return from injured reserve this week, and Green Bay Packers fans are downright giddy about the possibility of the star quarterback taking the reigns again just in time for the playoffs. At this point, there’s still a chance that won’t happen.
Rodgers underwent a CT scan on Monday to determine how his fractured collarbone is healing, but there has been no announcement yet on whether he will return. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, the Packers are consulting with several experts to determine if it is a wise decision to have Rodgers play.
Rodgers is said to be “pushing very hard to play,” but the team is concerned about the two-time MVP’s long-term health. Rodgers’ collarbone is not fully healed, and the Packers have known all along that it would not be by now. As Rapoport notes, an 80 percent healed collarbone would be considered good enough to play. However, there is still some risk of Rodgers re-breaking the bone. That’s exactly what we saw happen with Tony Romo back in 2015 when he returned before his fractured collarbone was fully healed.
Brett Hundley has led the team to two important wins in a row, keeping them squarely in the playoff discussion with a record of 7-6. Green Bay has games remaining against the Panthers and Lions on the road with a home game against the Vikings in between. That’s certainly not an easy schedule, so their postseason hopes may rest on Rodgers’ shoulder — literally.
Rodgers could still conceivably return in Week 16 or Week 17 if the team opts to give his collarbone more time to heal, but that would require Hundley to keep the team in playoff contention. If all of the things Rodgers and his teammates said to defend team doctor Pat McKenzie in the wake of disturbing allegations from Martellus Bennett were true, Rodgers may not be given the green light with a bone that is less than 100 percent healed.
