When Aaron Rodgers suffered a rib injury in the Packers’ 40-33 loss to the Eagles on Sunday, it sparked conversation around the topic of whether backup quarterback Jordan Love should receive playing time during the remainder of the 2022 season.
Rodgers, who incurred the injury in the third quarter of the contest, did not return for the final quarter of Sunday’s game. Love replaced him and finished 6-of-9 for 113 yards and one touchdown.
Green Bay (4-8) currently sits in third place in the NFC North behind the Lions and the Vikings. On Sunday afternoon, Green Bay will go on the road to face the Bears (3-9) in what Rodgers hopes will be the start to a Packers winning streak to keep their slim chances of a playoff berth alive.
The four-time MVP appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, sharing that he planned to play this week with hopes of giving Green Bay its best chance of winning. But if the Packers slide further out of the playoff picture, Packers coach Matt LaFleur could give Love some some playing time in Green Bay’s last five games.
However, Rodgers hopes to finish out the season while still maintaining an “open mind” that everything “is a business” decision when it comes to the team.
“There’s a lot of us kind of older guys who play a decent amount, and they might want to see some younger guys play,” Rodgers told McAfee. “Hopefully we don’t have to have that conversation, but if that conversation comes up, I’ll approach it with an open mind without any bitterness or resentment. … I want to win out, and then we don’t have to have those conversations. But I understand if we don’t that it’s a possibility to have that conversation.”
In addition to Rodgers’ dealing with the rib injury, he has also been dealing with an avulsion fracture in his right thumb since Week 5. Through 12 games this season, Rodgers has thrown for 2,682 yards, 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
When the Packers defeated the Bears, 27-10, in Week 2, Rodgers went 19-of-25 for 234 passing yards and two touchdowns while being sacked three times.