Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said on Monday that to his knowledge, quarterback Aaron Rodgers was still not planning to have surgery on his fractured pinky toe.
Rodgers has now confirmed that at least for now, that is indeed the case.
In his weekly appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers said he went to Los Angeles during the Packers’ bye week to get a second opinion on his toe. At this point, the plan remains for the quarterback to rest it and try to let it heal without going under the knife.
“I did get some great information about my foot. There was nothing really revolutionary,” Rodgers said. “There was no mindset change or anything. The biggest key is rest. I wish that there was another one of these [bye] weeks, so I could get 14 to 21 great days without doing anything. But the toe is improving and we’ll see how it feels later in the week.”
Rodgers added that surgery is not the first or second option he’d like, but if the toe gets worse, the surgery to immobilize it would prevent further damage.
“I think any decision that’s made would be one that allows me to play. I’m not going to miss any games,” Rodgers said. “I’ve, obviously, played with much bigger injuries, different parts of my body. And although it’s a small pinky toe, it’s definitely painful and creates some issues. But I’m not going to miss any games because of it.”
Rodgers did not practice at all in Week 12 before throwing for 307 yards and two touchdowns in the 36-28 victory over the Rams. He also rushed for a touchdown in that game.
It seems unlikely that Rodgers will practice this week, too, before taking on the Bears for Sunday Night Football.
“I’m not going to disparage practice and say that it’s not important. I think it is important. I think there’s things to be talked out and figured out during the week by practicing and taking those reps. At the same time, I’m old enough, I’ve been in this league long enough, I’ve played enough games where I can still go out and perform at a really high level without practicing.”
