Aaron Rodgers plans to start for Packers vs. Bears after getting 'good news' on MRI
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers wasn't able to finish Sunday night's 40-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles due to a rib injury, but it doesn't look like that will keep him from starting against the Chicago Bears in Week 13.
Rodgers appeared on "The Pat McAfee Show" Tuesday and said that he plans to play on Sunday after getting "good news" on his MRI scans.
BREAKING: "I got good news with the scans so I'll be playing this week" ~@AaronRodgers12#PMSLive #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/1Wuf9wBwdd
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 29, 2022
The injury didn't happen at one specific time. Rodgers described what happened to him on the field, and it was actually three separate hits built up throughout the game.
"There was an early shot in the game that rattled the ribcage & it got hit again in the 3rd quarter.. I pride myself on not coming out of games but I couldn't move out there at all"@AaronRodgers12 dives into his oblique injury #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/LPdh3v8eyA
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 29, 2022
"There was an earlier shot in the game that kind of rattled the rib cage," Rodgers said via CBS Sports. "And I was trying to stretch some things out at halftime a little bit, and realized it probably wasn't some sort of muscle injury. And then I just got hit again in the third quarter and was having a hard time breathing. I mean, I pride myself in not coming out of games ... but I was in considerable pain and I just felt like I couldn't move out there much at all."
Rodgers completed 11 of 16 passes for 140 yards with and two touchdowns and two interceptions before he exited the game. After he left, backup starting QB Jordan Love, had a productive quarter-plus, completing 6 of 9 passes for 113 yards with one touchdown.
Rodgers appears determined to start against the Bears, but that doesn't mean it's the best idea. He's been dealing with a broken thumb for weeks and performing well below his MVP level. This rib injury won't make that any better. Many analysts, including Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson, believe it's time for the Packers to bench Rodgers and ride with Love, and finally find out if he can truly be the starting QB of the future. But with Rodgers announcing that he plans to play on Sunday, and saying things like "if you can go out there and compete and you have competitive greatness in your body and your heart and your mind, you go out and play," it doesn't look like he'll be ready to give up that starting job anytime soon.
