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Rodgers returns for showdown with Bears
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Aaron Rodgers has been cleared to return from a left collarbone injury, just in time to start for the Green Bay Packers against the Chicago Bears in a game that will decide the NFC North title.
With no advance warning and little fanfare, the franchise quarterback received the long-awaited good news at the same time as the rest of his teammates on Thursday.
“This is a fun day for me, but I think the focus needs to be on this game and the opportunity we have to win the division,” Rodgers said.
Soon enough. But the spotlight for now is squarely on the return of one of the NFL’s most irreplaceable players.
Green Bay has won two out of eight games since Rodgers went down during a 27-20 loss on November 4 to Chicago. The Packers have managed to hang on, with a shot to win a third straight division title with a victory tomorrow at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Win and Green Bay returns to Lambeau Field the following weekend to host a wild-card team in the first round of the playoffs.
“We’re in it. You know we have a chance against our rivals, and what a better way than to go down there and get some redemption and host a home playoff game,” Rodgers said.
The last two months have been filled with angst for Packers fans. Discussions about whether Rodgers should risk future injury or return to bolster Green Bay’s playoff chances have filled sports talk radio shows.
Now imagine what it was like for the Packers’ brass and team doctor. The organization made a big investment in Rodgers this past offseason, signing him to a five-year contract extension through the 2019 season worth as much as US$110 million.
“Every football player that plays in this game Sunday will have risk. I think we all understand that,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “So we’ve done our due diligence. We’ve gone through all the evaluations and we feel it is time. Aaron is ready to play.”
Meanwhile, quarterback Jon Kitna will donate his game check from tomorrow night’s NFC East showdown between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles to the high school where he serves as a math teacher and football coach.
The Cowboys signed the 41-year-old Kitna out of retirement on Wednesday to serve as a backup in case starter Tony Romo is unable to play because of a back injury.
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