Aaron Rodgers will live to fight again. That fight just won’t happen in 2017. The Green Bay Packers have officially shut down their All-Universe quarterback after Rodgers complained of soreness after their 31-24 loss to the Carolina Panthers Sunday.
With that defeat and the Atlanta Falcons beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night, the Packers were officially eliminated from the playoffs. There was no reason at all to keep Rodgers on the field.
Packers eliminated from playoff contention
Last Time Packers Didn't Make Postseason was in 2008:
– Aaron Rodgers was in his 1st season as a starting QB
– Brett Favre was on the Jets
– The Lions went 0-16
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 19, 2017
Rodgers didn’t have the game Sunday a lot of people (outside of your humble narrator) expected against the Panthers. He was 26-of-45 for 290 yards, three touchdowns, but three killer picks. Obviously, with the score as close as it was, any one of those could have been the turnover that doomed Green Bay.
“With all the factors involved, we felt this was clearly in Aaron Rodgers’ best interest,” Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said. “He’s not happy about it. It’s a hard day for him. This is not the way, I don’t think, any player wants to see their season come to a conclusion, being on IR. We all understand and appreciate and respect his competitive spirit, but we felt as an organization this was in his best interest.”
With Rodgers back in street clothes, McCarthy tosses the keys back to Brett Hundley for their NFC South match up with division champion Minnesota Sunday. Hundley went 3-4 as a starter in Rodgers’ absence and improved in every game, even going throw-for-throw with Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers back on Nov. 26. Hundley completed 63.9 percent of his passes for 1,534 yards, eight touchdowns, eight interceptions and rushed for 207 yards and two scores.
Last time #Packers failed to reach the playoffs, Jordy Nelson was a rookie, Aaron Rodgers was a first-year starter, Brett Favre was a Jet, Clay Matthews was a Trojan, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix was a high school sophomore. It’s been a while.
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) December 19, 2017
Still, it was nice to have Rodgers back in the mix for a week. It’s too bad the Packers won’t use this season’s finish as an excuse to jettison McCarthy for a real coach that could make the most of Rodgers’ final years in the league.
“I think clearly Aaron’s effort and everything he put in to get back and play shows you the will and the character of the football team,” McCarthy said. “He’s the leader. …He did a lot of really good things in the Carolina game. To play and come back and have the challenge, I mean, they’re an excellent defense. But yes, I think it shows you his competitive spirit and his will to be a champion and you know, we fully went into Carolina with the expectations to win the game.”
20 years from now, ESPN will come out with a 30 for 30 film about Aaron Rodgers titled “The Dynasty That Never Was,” centered around the idea of having the greatest QB talent in history and never winning enough super bowls because of the mediocracy of his team’s front office.
— Brian Elmer (@b_elms11) December 17, 2017
Rodgers finishes his 2017-18 campaign with a 4-3 record, completing 64.7 percent of his passes for 1,675 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions.
HUNTER HENRY ON IR
The Los Angeles Chargers are still very much in the playoff hunt, but they’ll have to go forward without one of their favorite offensive weapons. Tight end Hunter Henry suffered a lacerated kidney in their 30-13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday and was placed on Injured Reserve.
Hunter Henry is the highest graded TE in the NFL through Week 14 pic.twitter.com/CioqqRNof1
— PFF (@PFF) December 14, 2017
Henry was in the midst of a break-out season for the Chargers and had completely taken over the starting role at tight end. His season ends with 45 catches for 579 yards and four touchdowns.
STEELERS HURTING
It won’t be just the loss and the incredibly stupid final play from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger that the Pittsburgh Steelers will have to overcome this week. In their 27-24 defeat at the hands of the New England Patriots, the Steelers lost Antonio Brown to a torn calf and back up running back James Conner to a knee injury.
The good news on Brown is that he might only miss one game. I suspect it will be two as the team prepares for the playoffs. They need him a lot more in the AFC Divisional Round than they do against the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns.
“He (Brown) can be characterized as out this week,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters. “I don’t want to frame it any other way. It’s simply too early to tell. We’ll see what the future of it holds at the top of next week.”
…….Antonio Brown owners RN. (And everyone else too tbh) pic.twitter.com/ekd9xDrNEt
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) December 17, 2017
Brown certainly doesn’t need the statistical help that playing in the final two games would give him. He currently leads the NFL with 101 catches and 1,533 yards. He’s caught nine touchdowns. His Pro Bowl invite and All-Pro selection should be safe.
The news was worse for rookie running back James Conner. Conner will be placed on injured reserve after hurting his knee and will need surgery to repair it.
“Unfortunate for him (Conner),” Tomlin said. “(I) Liked the trajectory of where he is going and his career was going in 2017. He will get well and continue on with his career.”
https://twitter.com/Guentzelvania/status/942540485993869312
Conner was a fan favorite after the team selected him in the third round of April’s NFL Draft out of Pitt. He’ll finish his rookie campaign with 32 carries for 144 yards.
THOMAS DAVIS GETS SUSPENSION REDUCED
The way the NFL handles suspensions makes absolutely no sense. Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis got a two-game suspension for a blindside hit on Green Pack Packers wide receiver DeVante Adams Sunday. After appealing it, it got reduced to one game. Why? Hell if I know.
Appeals officer James Thrash, jointly appointed by NFL & NFLPA, has reduced 2-game suspension of Thomas Davis to 1 game.
— Michael Signora (@NFLfootballinfo) December 19, 2017
Regardless, the decision is great for the Panthers. Thomas is a defensive leader and he’ll be back on the field for their season finale game against the Atlanta Falcons on New Year’s Eve. That contest could turn out to be the NFC South Championship if the Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints Sunday.
Thomas has 66 tackles, 2.5 sacks and one fumble recovery this season.
OTHER NFL NEWS
The Denver Broncos have placed outside linebacker Shane Ray on injured reserve after surgery on his injured wrist to remove screws last Friday. Ray started seven games for the Broncos and played in eight after breaking his wrist in the preseason. He finished with 16 tackles and one sack.
The Houston Texans have added offensive lineman David Quessenberry to their active roster. Quessenberry has never played an NFL game after being drafted in the sixth round of the 2013 draft out of San Jose State. Quessenberry dealt with an injury as a rookie and was then diagnosed with cancer in 2015. The Texans have kept him on the non-football illness list for the last two seasons.
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