Aaron Rodgers to Start on Sunday against Bears
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NFL via Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will return on Sunday in the season finale against the Chicago Bears (8-7).
Packers head coach Mike McCarthy made the announcement on Thursday after Rodgers missed the last seven games with a left collarbone injury in which the team went 2-4-1.
“Every football player that plays in this game Sunday will have risk. I think we all understand that,” McCarthy said. “So we’ve done our due diligence, we’ve gone through all the evaluations and we feel it is time. Aaron is ready to play.”
Rodgers can clinch the NFC North with a win and would not say whether he’d wear extra padding to prevent re-injuring the collarbone.
“I read a great quote by Kobe [Bryant], actually, recently,” Rodgers said. “He was talking about his injury and how when you’re injured, it heightens kind of your awareness of that injury. But when you get back on the court or the field, it’s all about performing and trying to block that out.
“I think that’s the easy part when you’re out there. It’s easy to talk about it with you guys and understand the risks. But when you’re out on the field, it’s about performing and playing and not worrying about it.”
The Bears are 1-1 since Jay Cutler returned as the starting quarterback.
“It’s gonna take all of us to win this game,” Cutler said. “We can’t make this game more than it is.”
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