Don't expect Aaron Rodgers to be suiting up for the Green Bay Packers anytime soon — at least for another eight weeks. Of course, there's always a chance the former MVP heals like Superman and surprises everyone — likely including himself — but for all intents and purposes, it appears that the Green Bay quarterback is playing the long game regarding his injury.
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For now, it appears he's content to go on the injured reserve in Green Bay, which will force him to sit out for at least eight weeks. Here's what he recently told reporters, per ESPN. He does sound anxious to get back onto the field:
"First of all, I want to be healthy," Rodgers said. "That's the most important thing. But if we're healthy in eight weeks and it would make sense to come back, then I'm going to come back.
I think the best thing that happened probably in this is just to put me on IR, because now you know it's going to be at least eight weeks," Rodgers said. "Where the last time, the holdup was the bone wasn't healed. That was the main holdup. You could see me throwing at practice, you could see me [feeling] positive about it and feeling good, but then you'd go to the scan and it's not healed yet. So it did take the duration."
Rodgers does sound anxious to get back on the field, but he made it pretty clear that he's not going to play — even after eight weeks — if his broken right collarbone isn't fully healed.
"I would just temper expectations because, as much as I would love to get back out there this year, if it's not healed, then there's no conversation," Rodgers said. "If it is healed, then there's a conversation and we'll go from there."
In the short term, Rodgers' patience is bad news for the Packers. Green Bay is on a two-game losing streak with Rodgers mostly out of action for the duration of those two games. He started the loss against the Vikings but was quickly taken out by a brutal hit. Green Bay lost 23-10. With Brett Hundley leading the way at quarterback against the Saints, the Packers lost 26-17.
From a potential Super Bowl favorite to a team that will struggle to make the playoffs, Rodgers' injury has proven just how important he is for the Packers. In the long-term, playing it safe with his injury is the best decision, precisely for that reason.
It won't make this season any easier for Packer fans, though.
