To no one’s surprise, the Packers placed starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers on injury reserve yesterday. Having already been eliminated from the playoffs following their loss combined with the Falcons’ victory earlier in the week, they rightly believed continuing to play him at center would have subjected him to undue and unnecessary risk. As coach Mike McCarthy noted, “we felt as an organization this was in his best interest.”
McCarthy didn’t say it, but the Packers’ best interest was also what prevailed. It was, not coincidentally, the same interest that had Rodgers suiting up against the Panthers in an effort to keep their slim hopes for a postseason berth alive. He had missed seven outings after breaking his right clavicle, but took to the field in an effort to run the table and extend their season much in the same way they did last year. And it was the same interest that got them to shut him down for their last two matches.
All the same, Rodgers was not a happy camper. Even as the Packers’ fate was sealed by their defeat and the Falcons’ triumph, he felt he was healthy enough to compete in the last two contests. Never mind that he was far from sharp, as evidenced by his up-and-down turn. He had three touchdowns, sure. More telling, however, were the three picks he threw, a blemish not seen in eight years and only the fourth in his career.
In any case, Rodgers will be back, and for the better. He remains one of the best in the National Football League at his position, and he could well have had the Packers crowding the top were he not injured. Where he goes, they go — which is why they’re confident of their future, however, disappointing their present may be.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is the Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Basic Energy Corp.
