Is there tension brewing in Green Bay? Once again, Aaron Rodgers practices all week, but is then ruled out for Sunday's game after doctors are still not confident his fractured collarbone has healed properly. Rodgers continues to say that he feels great and is confident that he could step onto the field and play, but head coach Mike McCarthy will continue to state Matt Flynn as the Packers are on the brink of making the playoffs.Rodgers is out against the Steelers.
McCarthy called the news bad, but not devastating. While McCarthy would love to have Rodgers under center for the team as they look for a late-season playoff push, he is confident that everyone in the locker room backs Flynn as the quarterback despite his inconsistencies at the position.
"We feel that we can beat Pittsburgh with our football team," McCarthy said, via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "We came in here Monday morning preparing to beat Pittsburgh with Matt Flynn, stated that all along. We feel very good about the preparation."
Guard TJ Lang praised Flynn's work in practice all week. He notes that no one is looking at Rodger's injury as a distraction and instead are just focused on the final two games with the players that will be out on the field. The Packers remain the favorite in the matchup, mainly due to their pieces around Flynn and McCarthy is confident the backup is up for the challenge.
"We feel that we can beat Pittsburgh with our football team," McCarthy said. "We came in here Monday morning preparing to beat Pittsburgh with Matt Flynn, stated that all along. We feel very good about the preparation."
Along with Flynn, running back Eddie Lacy is getting the vote of confidence. The rookie is on the brink of getting serious consideration for Rookie of the Year honors. He sat out of practice most of the week with a few injuries, but returned Friday and is expected to play on Sunday.
It has been seven weeks since Rodgers stepped on the field. Many wonder if there is tension brewing between Rodgers and McCarthy as the quarterback continues to say he is healthy while the head coach says otherwise
"I think Aaron clearly wants to play," said McCarthy. "I mean, he's a very competitive man. The kid's played with injuries, he's a tough guy. Everything was laid out on the table...he understands how the organization feels."
If the Packers make the playoffs, Rodgers could be back on the field. However, if the lose to the Steelers, fans should not expect to see the quarterback the rest of the year.
