Packers’ Rodgers to miss last 2 games
It will be a strange couple of weeks in Titletown. Green Bay’s streak of eight straight postseason appearances is over, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers is done for the year after he was placed on injured reserve Tuesday.
Rodgers threw for three touchdowns and tossed three interceptions in Sunday’s 31-24 loss at Carolina in his return from a broken collarbone. Coach Mike McCarthy said there were no setbacks with Rodgers’ injury, but it made sense to shut him down.
“He took a number of hits. With all the factors involved, we felt this was clearly in Aaron Rodgers’ best interest,” McCarthy said. “He’s not happy about it. It’s a hard day for him.”
Green Bay last missed the playoffs in 2008, Rodgers’ first season as the starter.
“It’s very disappointing. You never want to be in this situation,” said wide receiver Randall Cobb, “but we are.”
The Packers went 3-4 in games started by backup quarterback Brett Hundley to keep their playoff hopes alive while Rodgers was out. Hundley will take over again as the starter Saturday against Minnesota.
Rodgers was knocked out in Week 6 after landing on his right arm after a hard hit outside the pocket by Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr.
“I mean, you can’t go out there trying to take someone out like that. Just play ball, we don’t really think about it too much,” left guard Lane Taylor said when asked whether the team was motivated by facing Barr. Pro Bowl selections: Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell and Ben Roethlisberger are among a league-best eight Steelers selected for the all-star game. The Eagles and Saints each placed six the Jan. 28 game in Orlando.
Four rookies were chosen in voting by NFL players, coaches and fans: running backs Alvin Kamara of the Saints and Kareem Hunt of the Chiefs, cornerback Marshon Lattimore of the Saints, and safety Budda Baker of the Cardinals as a special teamer.
Five teams have no representatives: the Jets, Browns, Colts, Bears and Packers.
Patriots QB Tom Brady and Eagles QB Carson Wentz, who is injured, were voted in as starters, as were two former Stanford standouts, Steelers guard David DeCastro and Eagles tight end Zach Ertz. Steelers’ Brown out: Pittsburgh will have to pick up the pieces from an emotional loss to the Patriots without Antonio Brown.
Coach Mike Tomlin says Brown will miss Pittsburgh’s Christmas Day visit to Houston with a contusion on his left calf. The NFL’s leading receiver left in the second quarter against New England after getting tangled up while trying to catch a pass in the end zone. Tomlin declined to get into the specifics of Brown’s injury and didn’t put a timetable on a return.
“I just know he’s out next week,” Tomlin said.
Suspension shortened: The NFL reduced Thomas Davis’ suspension from two games to one following his appeal. The Panthers linebacker was suspended Monday following his helmet-to-helmet hit on Packers receiver Davante Adams (Palo Alto High). Davis can return in Carolina’s regularseason finale Dec. 31 against Atlanta. Adams suffered a concussion after being blindsided by Davis following a Carolina interception.