Packers

Teams Complained About Packers Placing Aaron Rodgers On IR, Think He Should Be Cut

December 24, 2017

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that multiple NFL teams complained to the NFL last week that the Packers violated the ruled regarding players who are eligible to be placed on injured reserve after the placed Aaron Rodgers on the list once they were eliminated from the playoffs.

Schefter points out that NFL rules stipulate that a player needs to have suffered a new injury that would sideline him at least six weeks to be placed on injured reserve. Otherwise, the team is obligated to release the player once he is healthy.

Green Bay activated Rodgers from injured reserve in time for their Week 15 game against the Panthers. Rodgers told reporters that he was “sore” and Packers HC Mike McCarthy mentioned that Rodgers took too many hits during the game. From there, Rodgers was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday.

According to Schefter, the belief is that Rodgers did not suffer a new injury, which means the rules would require him to be released. However, Schefter says that nobody expects will happen.

The NFL allowed the Packers to place him on injured reserve and have been referring all inquiries about the matter to the Packers, who have declined comment.

A source tells Schefter that Rogers wasn’t going to be medically cleared to play in Green Bay’s next game, as the team knew he wasn’t 100 percent healthy.

Rodgers suffered a displaced collarbone fracture that required two plates and 13 screws inserted to help solidify the fracture and accelerate the healing process.

Rodgers, 34, is a former first-round pick of the Packers back in 2005. He’s currently in the fifth year of his seven-year, $130.75 million contract that included $54 million guaranteed and stands to make base salaries of $12.55 million and $19.8 million over the next two years of the agreement.

In 2017, Rodgers has appeared in six games for the Packers and thrown for 1,385 yards while completing 66.3 percent of his passes to go along with 13 touchdowns and three interceptions. He has also rushed for 83 yards.