After weeks of speculation, Aaron Rodgers confirmed that he does indeed have a broken thumb. In the week 5 loss to the Giants, Rodgers’ thumb hit a Giants helmet and it has been broken ever since. Matt LaFleur was asked about Rodgers’ thumb injury and whether he ever thought about sitting him.
Matt LaFleur says there was never any consideration of resting Aaron Rodgers' broken throwing thumb for a week, saying Rodgers is one of the toughest players he's ever been around: "He's played through a lot worse. He's old-school tough."
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) November 24, 2022
Matt LaFleur’s Comments On Aaron Rodgers’ Thumb Injury
LaFleur never considered sitting Rodgers. Even with the broken thumb, Rodgers was going to be the starting quarterback. He talked about how Rodgers is one of the toughest players he has ever been around. “He’s played through a lot worse,” LaFleur said. Rodgers does have a history of nagging injuries that he plays through. Last year, his toe was bothering him all season but it did not stop him from playing at a high level. At this point in the season, most players are dealing with nagging injuries and have to play through them.
Why Isn’t Rodgers Sitting?
This goes beyond a nagging injury. The thumb is bothering him and it is affecting his play. Throws are off target and are coming out wobbly. This was especially prevalent in the loss to the Titans. The receivers were open and Rodgers just missed them. The offense is worse because of this injury. I get that Rodgers is tough. That is an awesome quality to have. However, this goes beyond toughness. If a player has an injury that is negatively affecting his play, he should sit. I’m not saying that it is a guarantee that Jordan Love performs better than Rodgers but it’s hard to think it would’ve been worse.
The other aspect that I do not understand is the secrecy of all of this. If it was broken but he was going to play, why not just come out and say that? It feels like they are revealing it now to give an excuse for how the season is going. The problem is if that is the excuse for the poor play, then why is he playing? Matt LaFleur’s comments on Rodgers’ thumb injury left me more confused about the situation.
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1 Comment
“It feels like they are revealing it now to give an excuse for how the season is going.”
AR was asked the question directly by Pat McAfee if his thumb was broken and had to respond. Then reporters followed up on it the next day. I don’t think it was ever their intention to reveal it and definitely not to give an excuse.
“The offense is worse because of this injury.”
Agreed
“I’m not saying that it is a guarantee that Jordan Love performs better than Rodgers but it’s hard to think it would’ve been worse.”
Oh, it could be much worse. I’ve seen enough of Jordan Love to know he’s not the answer. Packers fans have been lucky to have back-to-back MVPs. Lean years are likely ahead of us.