Earlier this week, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was optimistic about playing Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 14, but team doctors didn't clear the signal caller on Tuesday. However he still could be cleared before Sunday's game which will mark five weeks since he suffered the broken collarbone.
According to ESPN, doctors weren't able to give Rodgers the full go-ahead yet but have still not ruled out Rodgers making his return under center Sunday for the first time since the injury occurred Nov. 4 against the Chicago Bears.
"At this point, it's really about the risk of going back out there," Rodgers said on his weekly radio show, according to ESPN. "I can't say this morning was the greatest news because I was hoping for full clearance to get back out there and we didn't get that. It's Tuesday so we have a good amount of time before the game."
Rodgers underwent tests on Tuesday and coach Mike McCarthy wouldn't specifically say what the results showed, as he only noted that what the doctors saw didn't make them confident enough to give Rodgers the go-ahead. Rodgers, who returned to practice last week, was slated to practice on Wednesday.
"Well, Aaron wants to play, there's no question about it," McCarthy said Tuesday per ESPN. "But it's a medical situation. He has a clear understanding where he is as far as the process of getting back on the field. He feels good, and we're going to see what he can do tomorrow."
Matt Flynn is expected to start for the second consecutive game if Rodgers can't start Sunday after a sluggish performance in a 40-10 loss to the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day. Flynn went 10-for-20 last week for 139 yards with no touchdowns and an interception and was victimized by seven sacks. Flynn relieved rookie Scott Tolzien the week prior.
The Packers have yet to win since Rodgers went down, owning an 0-4-1 record in that span to push their overall record to 5-6-1 on the season.
It was reported early this week that there were internal discussions of the Packers shutting down Rodgers for the season, but McCarthy denied those rumblings publicly.
"There has been no internal conversation about shutting Aaron Rodgers down," McCarthy told ESPN. "Aaron wants to play. When he's healthy, he'll be given the opportunity to play."
Despite the fact that the Packers could conceivably be out of contention by the time Rodgers is ready for game action, the quarterback insists he wants to return this season no matter what.
"I desperately want to be back on the field, and that's been my stance from the beginning," Rodgers said via ESPN. "If I'm healthy, I want to be on the field. Would hate to be in a situation where we're out of it, but this is my team. I'm the leader of this team, and I want to be out there."
Before the injury, Rodgers was 168-for-251 (66.9%) for 2,218 yards with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions.
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