Green Bay Packers Roster, Injury News 2017: Will Aaron Rodgers Play Again Later this Season?
The Green Bay Packers may bring back Aaron Rodgers at some point later this season after he has spent the mandatory eight weeks on the injured reserve list. That's quite possible. The earliest he can play is the week 15 game against the Carolina Panthers on Dec. 17, and the Packers may activate him if they aren't out of the playoff race by then.
However, fans should probably temper their expectations because the veteran quarterback is not going to return to the football field this season unless his collarbone is fully healed.
"First of all, I want to be healthy. 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," Rodgers told reporters on Friday, via ESPN.
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"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. If it is healed, then there's a conversation and we'll go from there," he added.
Meanwhile, it seemed that Rodgers wasn't joking when he told late-night talk show host Conan O'Brien that he had 13 screws inserted into his injured collarbone during a segment of "Clueless Gamer" last month.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the doctors who performed the surgery on the six-time Pro Bowler's shoulder really did place 13 screws in his shoulder because two plates were used to repair the broken right collarbone. Normally, only one plate is used.
Rapoport also noted that while it's "theoretically possible" Rodgers will play again later this season, the Packers aren't expected to bring him back because they don't want to put their franchise quarterback's long-term health at risk.
Brett Hundley should start at quarterback for the rest of the season if Rodgers is unavailable.
