Aaron Rodgers on next week's status: 'Oh, I'm playing next week'

-- Sunday night put on full display what may have been one of Aaron Rodgers' finest moments in his time as the starting quarterback of the Green Bay Packers.

After being carted off the field in the second quarter with a knee injury, Rodgers found his way back into the game for the Packers' first offensive possession of the second half. He was 3-for-7 for 13 yards and sacked twice prior to his injury.

Post-injury? 17-of-23 for 273 yards and a trio of touchdowns.

Rodgers was mostly limited to his one good leg -- his right leg -- and the Packers needed to scheme their offense around that. In similar fashion to his calf injury in 2014, the Packers ran more looks out of the pistol formation and shotgun as opposed to making Rodgers take snaps under center.

It all culminated in a 24-23 season-opening victory for the Packers after trailing 20-0 by the time he re-entered the game.

It didn't take long for Rodgers to already cement his status for next Sunday's meeting with the Minnesota Vikings.

"Oh, I'm playing next week," he told NBC's Michelle Tafoya following the win. Of course, the Packers are going to have Rodgers undergo several more extensive tests on his knee to ensure there isn't any further structural damage, but the fact that he was able to return to the game speaks volumes.

The Packers wouldn't put the cornerstone of their franchise back out into a week one game down 20-0 if there was a significant possibility for aggravating the injury. He may not have been 100 percent -- more like 60 if anything -- but Rodgers' play practically lacked a single blemish in the second half.

Rodgers said after the game that the Packers were prepared to roll with backup quarterback DeShone Kizer into the second half, however, he insisted otherwise.

In his last five games against the Bears at Lambeau Field, Rodgers has now thrown 17 touchdowns and just a single interception. He'll hope to be fully cleared to play next week against the same Vikings team that derailed the Packers' season a year ago.

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Zachary Jacobson is a staff writer/reporter for Cheesehead TV. He's the voice of The Leap on iTunes and can be heard on The Scoop KLGR 1490 AM every Saturday morning. He's also a contributor on the Pack-A-Day Podcast. He can be found on Twitter via @ZachAJacobson or contacted through email at [email protected].

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Comments (21)

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Oppy's picture

September 09, 2018 at 11:58 pm

Outside of the amazing win, perhaps the biggest thing that can be taken away from Aaron's performance tonight is the impact it should have in the locker room.

Yes, I'm the highest paid NFL player ever. Yes, I have a ton of guaranteed money. But I'm going to lay it all on the line and fight to win.

Hard not to bring your "A" game every week when the QB shows out like this.

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Andrew Lloyd Peth's picture

September 10, 2018 at 07:25 am

Excellent point.

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Qoojo's picture

September 10, 2018 at 12:17 am

Yay. Sure would be nice to have Jones back for this game, because a run game would help a lot. Here's hoping the staff can get him moving better for the Vikes.

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dobber's picture

September 10, 2018 at 07:18 am

You have to believe that after last season, #12 wants a shot at the Vikings.

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White92's picture

September 10, 2018 at 08:46 am

Oh no doubt. I'm sure he's had the Queens game circled on the calendar the day the schedule came out.

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Since'61's picture

September 10, 2018 at 10:03 am

You won't have Jones back because he is suspended until week 3.
Thanks, Since '61

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LayingTheLawe's picture

September 10, 2018 at 12:23 am

If it is just pain and stiffness he will hobble out there and play through it. So let's all hope there's no structural damage.

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4thand1's picture

September 10, 2018 at 12:32 am

What this does is cements AR's commitment to this team. This could launch something really special, the rest of you do your jobs too. AR saved MM's ass big time once again. How as a head coach you can let your team come out this flat is just plain ridiculous. To the Cobb haters.................suck it. If I were gute, I'd fine CM to send a message, he could have cost the game.

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jeremyjjbrown's picture

September 10, 2018 at 07:02 am

If I was Pettine I'd be starting Gilbert next week.

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Since'61's picture

September 10, 2018 at 10:05 am

Yes, that is exactly what the Packers should do. CM3 played poorly last evening, missed a few tackles and then nearly cost us the game with a stupid unnecessary penalty. Time to give Gilbert a legit shot. Thanks, Since '61

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PAPackerbacker's picture

September 10, 2018 at 02:28 pm

The roughing penalty was stupid, but in CM3's defense the refs are calling it way to quickly this year and it's totally ridiculous!! I saw it called way to quickly in other games when it should not have been a penalty at all. CM3 needs moved inside and Gilbert outside.

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4thand1's picture

September 10, 2018 at 12:37 am

Mack chasing Cobb and coughing up a lung in the end zone.............................priceless.

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dobber's picture

September 10, 2018 at 07:16 am

The thing is, if you watch that replay, Mack pulls off his blocker a bit early and puts himself in a position to make the play at the goal line. When Cobb cuts to the corner behind Monty, Mack lets up, but when Cobb cuts back inside Mack is almost there to make the play. If he doesn't let up, he might catch Cobb just shy of the endzone...

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4thand1's picture

September 10, 2018 at 08:41 am

True, can't deny the guy is a beast and played until he whistle.

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Qoojo's picture

September 10, 2018 at 09:30 am

Mack impressed me on that play. He is a freak to even be that close. Too bad the packers couldn't have got him.

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Lphill's picture

September 10, 2018 at 05:47 am

Aaron is becoming more Favre like.

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Spock's picture

September 10, 2018 at 09:11 am

When the 1st half ended I said to my wife, "This is not the way I expected the game to start." When Rodgers walked out of the tunnel to start the 2nd half I suddenly flashed back to 2014 when he was carted off and came back out to win the game. I just got some sort of weird sense of serenity that I can't explain (seriously, I'm not making this up). Then when Rodgers starts "doing his thing" (I've run out of superlatives for him, lol) the announcers start talking about, "Have you ever seen someone carted off and then comes back into the game to play like this?" I'm paraphrasing, but that's essentially what they were saying and I'm thinking, "Yeah, Rodgers in 2014. He's done this before." At that point I fully expected the Packers to win. Priceless.

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Since'61's picture

September 10, 2018 at 10:11 am

My guess is that Aaron will play next week but MM will not to commit to that until the last possible minute in an attempt to keep the Vikings in the dark about which QB to game plan for.

We'll probably get the usual "it's a medical decision" response right up until game time. We need someone in the Packers media to work around the usual softball press conference questions and get the facts early in the week. Thanks, Since '61

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korbie33's picture

September 10, 2018 at 10:21 am

This is a great example why we need a decent backup QB. We gave the Bears seven free points to make the comeback even more difficult.

Here is some past Rodgers medical history that maybe of concern:

Rodgers played with a tear in his left ACL during his junior and senior seasons at Pleasant Valley High School in Chico, California, wearing a knee brace to protect it. He then played one season at Butte College and another at Cal while refusing to wear the brace, before finally having his ACL replaced after the 2003 season.

Rodgers had surgery on his left knee after the Packers' season-ending playoff loss at Arizona on Jan. 16. He called the surgery "minor" and acknowledged that it did have something to do with the ACL tear he had suffered more than a decade earlier.

Let us hope for the best and this is just a minor set back. We again have the best QB in football and the Bears still suck.

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PAPackerbacker's picture

September 10, 2018 at 02:38 pm

If the coaches manage the game well and let the players play for 60 minutes instead of 30 minutes the game would not have been this close. If you can score 24 points in the second half you should be able to score some in the first half. Terrible game management by MM. Rodgers saved the day again.

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croatpackfan's picture

September 10, 2018 at 04:31 pm

Not when you first have to play training game for 35.40 min to gel unit rogether. After you gel it than it started.

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