Hey folks, Ryan Wood here. I'm sure you've got a lot of questions about Aaron Rodgers' right collarbone, and what it means for the Packers season. Let's get to them.
As they sit now, the Packers are 4-2 and tied atop the NFC North. So they're going to try to win for now. How unlikely that is, is another things entirely. As for Randall Cobb, the Packers don't view him as a bad contract. They''ll expect to compete in 2018 when Rodgers returns healthy. So they're not going to unload any pieces that could help them win next season.
It would not surprise me to see the Packers sign a quarterback to their practice squad. Mike McCarthy generally keeps at least three on the roster. No idea who they might be interested in as a third quarterback. Taysom Hill is coming to Green Bay this week, but he remains on the Saints' 53-man roster.
There's no question Aaron Rodgers covered up a lot of warts on this roster, and without him those weaknesses will be revealed. But if the Packers fail to make the playoffs this season, it's for no other reason than losing the best player in football. With the possible exception of the Patriots, no team that loses a franchise quarterback remains in contention. Not in this league.
This is not to say the Packers don't need to make changes -- maybe they do -- but I will continue to mention injuries are not an issue isolated to Green Bay. They are everywhere in the league.
I just don't see what's the point. If Hundley can't win in his third year learning McCarthy's system, there isn't a QB out there who will. That includes Colin Kaepernick,Tony Romo and Taysom Hill. Hundley gives them the best chance to win. What he does with that chance is up to him.
That is extremely unlikely, according to multiple orthopedic specialists I've spoken with. It sounds like the worst-case scenario is he returns to full health by the start of 2018.
Actually, assuming Aaron Rodgers goes on IR, his spot has already been filled when the Packers promoted Joe Callahan from their practice squad. They would need to make a separate move for Vince Biegel.
No, the fact the Packers were willing to present the possibility Aaron Rodgers could miss the rest of the season is significant, even if he returns. It sets the timetable at months, not weeks. From their perspective, it also prevents weekly questions on whether Aaron Rodgers could return, something they dealt with all throughout his 2013 absence.
OBJ. J.J. Watt. David Johnson. Andrew Luck. Killer injuries are all over the league, not just Green Bay. Fans lose perspective on that. No study is needed to understand why. A very logical argument can be made that humans were not meant to play football. The injury rate in this sport is almost 100 percent. With the very rare exception, if you play this game, you will be injured.
I'm not sure you understand the relationship between coaching and quarterback play. A coach tunes his offense to the strengths and weaknesses of his quarterback. Then it's the quarterback's job to execute. Without Aaron Rodgers on the field, no, it won't reveal much about Mike McCarthy. There isn't a coach in the league that can lose Aaron Rodgers and prevent his team from becoming significantly worse. I do think it gives Ted Thompson and the personnel staff a clear view of the warts on their roster. I'm sure those are things they were already aware of, but there probably can be some learning through this process as well. Coaching? No, this won't be a reflection on that.
Yes, Ted Thompson is in charge of personnel decisions, but he certainly listens to Mike McCarthy, especially when it comes to the quarterback position. With that said, I took McCarthy's comments to mean he isn't looking for help to arrive outside the organization. Rather, he's focused on winning with who's already here.
I suggest you watch more Falcons games if you think it's easy to slow down Julio Jones. Complaining about a secondary not slowing down Julio Jones is like complaining about a defense not slowing down Aaron Rodgers. Jones is that kind of player. With that said, the Packers secondary is depleted. It was without its top two corners yesterday, and probably its most important player on the back end in Morgan Burnett. When you're playing with reserves, that's what you get.
Couldn't agree more. No idea if Brett Hundley can win or not, but the Packers need to find out before they do anything else at the position. He clearly gives them their best hope.
Not sure if they'll call up any O lineman, really. Kofi Amichia is the only lineman left on their practice squad.
No, what I'm saying is no coach will be as successful without a franchise quarterback, so to expect that is delusional, irrational and illogical. It's a quarterback's league, not a coach's league.
Yeah, the same fracture in a throwing shoulder takes about a month longer. That's why the Packers were quick to suggest Aaron Rodgers might not be back this season.
Maybe slightly better than making the playoffs.
Great point. I was thinking this same thing yesterday on the ride back from Minneapolis. If there's a big loser out of yesterday not named Aaron Rodgers, it might be Davante Adams. He's a good player, and he'll still put up numbers, but you wouldn't think those numbers will be nearly the same without Rodgers throwing passes.
I think how he looked yesterday is very little indication of whether he can win or not. It was about the worst possible environment to enter a game cold, on the road against a divisional rival that happens to have one of the NFL's best defenses. This week, facing a bad Saints offense at home, should be much more telling. If Hundley struggles this week, that's a big problem.
He's similar in style, in that he's a mobile quarterback. He's just not Aaron Rodgers.
The one tangible piece of hope you could hear inside the Packers locker room yesterday was that their backup quarterback position is much more solidified now than it was in 2013, when they rummaged through a couple different players at that position. Theirs hope that will help, but all of it depends on what Brett Hundley can provide. If Hundley can't move the ball and make plays, it doesn't matter that he's established himself as the guy.
Adams would not be on the field if there were any lingering affects from his concussion, so that's irrelevant. As for the head butt, I didn't get a good look at the play to know what kind of punishment there should have been.
