Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers fractured his collarbone in the first quarter of Week 9′s Monday Night Football matchup against the Chicago Bears. Since he’s been injured, Green Bay has posted a 0-5-1 record and has fallen 1.5 games behind the Detroit Lions for first place in the NFC North.Earlier today, Rodgers said that he’d make a decision on Friday or Saturday on whether or not he’d play this weekend. The answer for Rodgers is easy, though.
Rodgers should not play for the remainder of the season.
First off, collarbone injuries are difficult to deal with. The pain in his shoulder may have subdued, but the bone isn’t fully healed yet. One hit or bad landing could re-fracture the bone, causing Rodgers to miss a significant amount of time.
Without a doubt, Aaron Rodgers is the most important player on this Packers team. Earlier in the season, Pro Bowlers Clay Matthews, Randall Cobb and Jermichael Finley all missed time for Green Bay, but Rodgers kept the team afloat. With Rodgers out of the lineup, Green Bay has nose-dived straight into a state of mediocracy.
If Rodgers returns to the field, there isn’t any guarantee that Green Bay would be able to make the playoffs. The team’s remaining schedule isn’t a cake walk, with games against Chicago, Pittsburgh and Dallas.
The long-term future of the Packers franchise is much more important than the short-term future right now. This is a lost season for Green Bay, and injuries played a large part in it. It’s extremely difficult to overcome injuries to so many starters on both sides of the football.
If Rodgers returns and reinjures himself, Green Bay is in for a load of trouble. Without their star QB, the Packers are a .500 team at best.
It’s just not worth risking the team’s future for a small shot at the playoffs this year. Rodgers is too good and too valuable to the franchise to risk his long term health, especially because the Packers offensive line is average at best.
If last week’s game against Detroit was any indication of the rest of the season, whoever is behind center for Green Bay is going to be harassed on a regular basis.
So take the rest of the year off, Aaron Rodgers; enjoy your free time. Get healthy and come back next season with a vengeance.
That’s his best move, and the franchise's best move too.
By Mike Lucas
