For the first time since suffering a broken collarbone Nov. 4, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was on the field throwing Tuesday at practice.
Per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com via Twitter, Rodgers participated in all the individual drills open to the media before being “kicked out” for the team portion of practice. Packers head coach Mike McCarthy previously said Rodgers’ chances of playing Thursday against the Lions were “slim to none,” but it appears the quarterback has made some sort of progress in his rehab.
It’s worth noting that while Rodgers was able to throw the ball at practice, he was taking snaps from Garth Gerhart and not starter Evan Dietrich-Smith. But as Jason Wilde points out on Twitter, Rodgers and Dietrich-Smith have plenty of reps together.
Along with Rodgers’ return, cornerback Sam Shields, defensive end Johnny Jolly and right tackle Don Barclay were also both practicing. The Packers have struggled to compensate for each player being out the last two weeks.
Marshall Newhouse has been a train wreck filling in for Barclay at right tackle, while the once-deep secondary is now scrambling to fill holes, as they’re without Casey Hayward for the rest of the season and Shields has missed the past two games. The defensive line has been dominated without Jolly in the lineup.
One has to wonder whether Rodgers’ availability will be directly tied to Barclay. Allowing Rodgers to play three weeks after breaking his collarbone would be risky with Newhouse at right tackle against the Detroit Lions’ front four.
More information will follow when McCarthy talks to reporters after practice, as it’s still unclear whether or not Rodgers will be cleared for contact in time for Thursday’s game. However, Rodgers needed to practice today to have even the slightest of chances to play, and he did just that.
(UPDATE: McCarthy said he’s not expecting Rodgers to play this week. Asked if his chances were still “slim to none,” McCarthy said, “Closer to none.” McCarthy also said he expects Sam Shields and Johnny Jolly to play Thursday. The team is still preparing both Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzien, although Flynn took the starter reps today.)
But hey, there’s finally some positive injury news on the Packers front. At least for today.
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Marques is a Journalism student, serving as the Sports Editor of UW-Green Bay\'s campus newspaper The Fourth Estate and a Packers writer at Jersey Al\'s AllGBP.com. Follow Marques on Twitter @MJEversoll.
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If Rodgers is cleared to play by Thursday, I hope he does. Otherwise, I think this is just something to make the Lions sweat a little.
IF ARod plays AND Barclay/Bostic play, we’ve got a shot. Det’s secondary is even more atrocious than ours right now.
But if ARod plays and the OL let’s him even get touched… heads gon’ roll.
Then sharpen the guillotine blade because it isn’t the sack that I’d worry about,it would be the hit while in the process and the immediate after the process of the throw and that is never going to be a zero occurrence event.
If AR plays, they’ll be knocking him down and hitting him every chance they get.
I really doubt Rodgers will play this week.
I still don’t understand how Sherrod cannot beat Newhouse out at RT at this point. How much worse can anyone look? I also don’t get why they wouldn’t work him in occasionally for some series when Newhouse is getting beaten badly multiple times a game. What is the risk at that point? GoPack!
How do you know that Sherrod is better than Newhouse at this point? Have you been at practice like the coaches? Newhouse is terrible, but apparently Sherrod is even worse right now or he would be taking game snaps.
He has the fact that he hasn’t played a game in two years working against him.
On the plus side, he hasn’t given up nearly as many hits or sacks on Rodgers as Newhouse has over that time span. 😉
I don’t know that Sherrod is or isn’t better than Newhouse, thus my surprise that he must be worse, since Newhouse is a turnstile at this point and is terribly unreliable. I am not claiming to know. GoPack!
My guess is that Newhouse is still not close to ready, but in order to improve he’s got to practice. And in order to practice they had to take him off the PUP. So he may not be ready, but at least he’s getting the kind of work that will help get him ready for next season.
Agreed…not a bad move.
Meant to reply to Dobber about keeping the Lions guessing about who will start Thursday. I also agree Sherrod has to be given snaps at some point. His performance can’t be worse than What Newhouse is doin now.
The winner of this game will end up taking the division. But is it really worth putting your franchise QB in jeopardy against that front 4. Even if this team gets into playoff’s, the defense is awful. If they can win this game without him which is doubtful, let him play against Atlanta. If they lose, shut him down for the rest of the year.
I think it is. The likelihood that he’s going to do serious/permanent injury to the collarbone is not very high. If they lose, they’re done. AR gives them their best chance to win. If he gets reinjured–again–they’re done.
I think it’s a roll of the dice either way. Do you put your faith in Flynn, thinking he can pull it out, or do you play AR and hope he doesn’t take any significant hits? Either way, it’s a moot point until he’s cleared.
Packer organization will NOT risk AROD to severe injury unless he is cleared by the doctors and I don’t see that happening. If can play Thursday, he could have played Sunday.
Yeah we should put Aaron in a bubble and save him until 2016. Then his first play back he gets hit and his career is over. Yep great idea. Pay them but don’t play them… Any player can get hurt at any given time as the Packers should know very well by now. I say if the man wants to play, let him play and lets win one for a change…
I think that MM is generating any edge that he can and good for him (us). I see no reason why Matt Flynn can’t lead this offense and run the system effectively. The difference will be our defense. If we can stop the run and pressure Stafford, we will be right in this game. If we can generate some turnovers on defense, we can win this match
What is this “turnover” you speak of?
Apple. Cherry. There’s lots of those in MI.
If Newhouse plays, sit ARod for the game and season and concede the rest of the year. If Flynn pulls out a win on Thursday, only play ARod in the playoffs. Let’s face it, getting into the playoffs is difficult, beating Sea or NO in their turf is impossible with the current GB defense.
If Newhouse plays we need to order some more quarterbacks. He will actually turn 90 degrees and step aside let the defender come right through, I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Seriously, nobody can defend him anymore. Him and MM or TT having an affair, that’s the only logical explanation…
I really hope no Packers player or coach thinks like you do. When the Giants won the Super Bowl in 2007 do you think there was one player on that team who didn’t think they were going to win? Or the Patriots against the Broncos at halftime last week? Players in the NFL have to be over-confident. As a gambler it’s a bad trait – as the person out there doing the work it’s a necessity.
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?!?!?
I really hope this is a joke. If not, please seek your nearest elementary school and learn some basic American history.
You have to believe Sherrod just isn’t ready!! If he was he would be playing…..
Or maybe, he will never be ready ..
Another Justin Harrel taking Steve Miller’s advice “Go on, take the money and run”
But they must feel he could help the team at some point, or there would be no reason to activate him from the PUP. He could’ve gone straight to season-ending IR.
During the last game against Detroit I thought that the Packers handled the Lions D-line pretty well. If we do that again we should be effective running Lacy and protecting Flynn (I doubt that AR will be cleared to play). Once again the defense is the issue. But Jolly and Shields are expected back. As far as I am concerned the defense needs to show up now. No more excuses. Go out, play with abandon and take the win. I really wish that we were not playing until Sunday, because AR might be ready for a Sunday game this week. Thanks Since ’61
If they hope to go anywhere this year the defense has got to step up and help win a game, not just slowly (or rapidly) bleed until Its lost. Its a miracle that the pack still hold their own fate in their hands. Its like the start of the season & No time like the present. If they can’t do it that with jolly, shields, and Perry back, when will they do it? If that’s the case, might as well accept that they’re not able to get it done. I think they can, and they’re overdue.
6 weeks for Rodgers’ collarbone to properly heal before they will clear him to play
Is the 6 week figure you speak of from the packers, or your own thoughts?
Flynn throws for 461 yards in Packers victory
If the Packers can establish the run game and control time of possession, I think their chances for winning increases. In the first meeting Megatron did not play. Stafford seem a bit off without his go to guy. The big key here is creating turnovers. If the Pack can some how get pressure in Stafford’s face, he’ll make some bad throws. I think this game is very winnable. Matt Flynn is a system QB. He will be fine especially with more reps in practice this week.
Happy Thanksgiving to Packers Nation.
I agree with you. Flynn will run the offense competently, and between that and lacy-starks punch, our offense should be ok. We just need a defense that can generate some game changing plays, not just be a speed bump for the lions.
If I had any faith in the ability of the Defense to generate turnovers, I’d be more optimistic for tomorrow’s game. Detroit is leaking at the seams and ripe to be had.
If this defense can find a way to come out and dominate the LOS (stop the run,pressure Stafford, play in the backfield), they’ve got a shot. I just don’t see it happening.