Aaron Rodgers said he’ll be open to the conversation once the Green Bay Packers are officially eliminated from the postseason race, but until then, he wants to be on the field and playing.
“As long as we’re mathematically alive, I’d like to be out there,” Rodgers said following Sunday night’s 40-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Packers are 4-8 and in the 11th spot in the NFC. Matt LaFleur’s team has lost seven of the last eight games and are three full games out of the hunt in the wild-card race with five more games to play.
FiveThirtyEight.com gives the Packers a three percent chance of making the postseason.
Rodgers, who turns 39 years old this week, exited Sunday night’s loss to the Eagles with a ribs injury. He’s also dealing with a lingering injury to his thumb, which has been broken on his right hand since early October.
X-rays on his ribs were inconclusive in Philadephia on Sunday, so he’ll get more scans on Monday to reveal the severity of the injury. Rodgers said if expects to play in Chicago on Sunday if testing on his injury goes well.
Backup quarterback Jordan Love replaced Rodgers against the Eagles and completed 6-of-9 passes for 113 yards and a 63-yard touchdown to Christian Watson. He led the Packers to 10 points over two drives.
The combination of the Packers’ record and Rodgers’ injuries could provide an opportunity for the franchise to get an extended look at Love, the team’s first-round pick in 2020.
It’s certainly possible the Packers will be eliminated by the time the team comes out of the Week 14 bye, giving Rodgers one more opportunity to get on the field in a meaningful game this season. And there’s little doubt he wants another shot at the Bears, a team he’s dominated over his decorated career in Green Bay.
“There’s obviously a lot of other conversations that come into play once you’re eliminated,” Rodgers said. “I’ll be open to those conversations.”
With the season nearly lost, it appears those conversations are coming sooner rather than later for Rodgers and the Packers.
