The Green Bay Packers have a simple formula for winning the NFC North division this season. If they can beat the Bears in Chicago on Sunday, their 8-7-1 record would be enough to capture a division title after a mediocre season. Good news, Packers fans — Aaron Rodgers will be there to lead the way.
After various reporters noted that Rodgers was practicing with the first team on Thursday morning, Mike McCarthy announced that Rodgers is indeed expected to start against Chicago.
“We are preparing for the Chicago Bears with Aaron Rodgers as our starting quarterback,” McCarthy said, noting that Rodgers has felt good for a few weeks. “It’s time to play football. He just wants to focus on playing football.
There had previously been speculation that Rodgers might shut it down for the season, and that probably would have been the case if the Packers fell out of playoff contention. However, the inability of the Detroit Lions to win important games has set the stage for Green Bay.
Most of the talk around the NFL this week has been about Tony Romo and his bad back, but Rodgers is just as important — if not more important — to his team. The return of No. 12 not only gives the Packers a chance to sneak into the playoffs, it could also make Green Bay a surprise contender in the NFC when the postseason begins. They’ll have to get through the Bears in a tough road environment first.
