The Packers are in dire straits as they enter their Week 9 matchup with the Lions. Green Bay has lost four games in a row and desperately needs to snap its longest losing streak under Matt LaFleur to stay in the NFC wild-card race.
That said, it appears that the Packers will once again have to do that with Aaron Rodgers operating at less than 100 percent.
Rodgers, 38, has been listed on the injury report with a right thumb problem since Week 6. He logged a limited practice on Wednesday, which was initially seen as a positive, but the quarterback downplayed its significance.
“Well, I heard it was going to be just a jog-through, so I figured I might as well get down there and be around,” Rodgers said Wednesday, per Pro Football Talk.
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After that, Rodgers provided a less-than-stellar update about his dinged-up thumb.
I wish I could tell you it was feeling better. But it was more just the necessity of jog-through, and feel like my presence down there was kind of more important today than an hour of rehab.
Certainly, it’s not a good sign that Rodgers’ thumb isn’t healing. He has clearly been impacted by the injury, as his per-game stats before the injury were certainly a step up from his post-injury stats.
| Situation | Comp. % | Passing yards | Yards per attempt | Pass TDs | INTs | Rating |
| Five games before injury | 67.9 | 231.4 | 6.9 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 95.8 |
| Three games after injury | 64.2 | 214.3 | 6.1 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 92.6 |
The Packers have suffered because of Rodgers’ struggles passing the ball. They were 3-2 in his first five games but have gone 0-3 since he was first listed on the injury report.
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Obviously, Rodgers’ thumb injury isn’t entirely to blame for his decline. The team has dealt with several injuries in its receiving corps, with Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins and Christian Watson all missing time.
But clearly, Rodgers’ balky thumb is preventing him from playing at his usual level; and if it doesn’t improve soon, the Packers will have to find other ways to consistently move the ball on offense.
In Week 9, they figure to do that with Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon since the Lions are weak against the run. That may end up being the duo they rely upon in future matchups as well.
