Aaron Rodgers was absent from Wednesday’s practice with a new knee injury, but the Green Bay Packers quarterback isn’t worried about his availability for Week 17.
Listed as a DNP with knee and thumb injuries, Rodgers said there’s no concern about his availability for Sunday versus the Minnesota Vikings and that his absence was “a nice little veteran day.”
“I’ve got a lot of body weight on my knee,” said Rodgers, who said he will return to practice on Thursday. “Just been doing rehab the last few days and I feel a lot better.”
Rodgers took a shot to the knee in the second quarter of Sunday’s win versus the Dolphins and was seen limping. The Packers QB never missed a snap, however, and said the knee did not bother him in the second half.
Rodgers completed 24 of 38 passes for 238 yards with one touchdown and an interception to keep Green Bay’s playoff hopes alive.
The knee ailment is just another chapter in Rodgers’ injury-laden 2022 season. The reigning back-to-back Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player suffered an avulsion fracture to his throwing thumb in Week 5, and was taken out of a Week 12 road matchup in Philadelphia due to an injury to his ribs.
Rodgers has played through all the pain, never missing a start this season and portends to do the same come Sunday at home against Minnesota. Though the Packers will need some help in order to clinch an NFC wild-card berth, Rodgers is doing everything in his power to help alter a season that seemed hopeless after just four wins entering Week 13.