Head Coach Mike McCarthy relayed good news and bad news with regards to the Packers' quarterbacks on Monday.
Brett Favre appears to be OK after suffering an elbow injury in the second quarter Sunday that sidelined him for the rest of the game. But backup quarterback Aaron Rodgers is out for the season with a broken foot, and the Packers will be looking at signing a quarterback to the roster this week.
McCarthy said during his news conference on Monday that Favre was getting the strength back in his hand and wasn't concerned about the injury, which occurred when he was sacked late in the second quarter and his elbow hit the ground. Favre couldn't return to the game because the shot to the elbow nerve took away the strength in his hand needed to hold and throw the ball properly.
Favre will be evaluated further on Wednesday, but at this point it doesn't appear his NFL record streak of 231 consecutive starts at quarterback (251 including playoffs) is in jeopardy.
"They (the doctors) think he's going to be fine," McCarthy said. "He's not very worried about it, which to them is a clear indication because he's been through this, and they trust his judgment based on their history with him."
But unfortunately for Rodgers, his first extended action in 2006 turned out to be his last this season.
Rodgers came into Sunday's game late in the second quarter in relief of Favre and finished the contest. He completed four of 12 passes for 32 yards. He also rushed for 11 yards, was sacked three times and lost a fumble.
Rodgers said he doesn't even know what play he hurt his foot on, other than to say it was on the first or second series of the third quarter. He had his ankle re-taped on the sidelines after a series but essentially played the entire fourth quarter on a broken foot.
"I didn't want to come out of the game," Rodgers said when he addressed reporters on Monday standing on crutches at his locker. "I knew it was bothering me, but I still felt like I could make some plays out there, and I wanted the opportunity to do so."
The news he was out for the season is a tough blow for Rodgers, and he said that's why he didn't speak to the media after Sunday's game. He had just gotten the x-ray results and was processing the bad news.
Still, the effort he gave on Sunday, even though the results weren't to his liking, paint a strong picture of what type of quarterback the Packers should have when Favre retires.
"I hope that it shows my teammates how much I care about them, and how I'll put the team in front of my personal health," Rodgers said. "I just hope it shows them what kind of guy they're getting in the future, a guy who will be able to play through pain and continue to try and lead the team."
Rodgers was the Packers' first-round draft choice in 2005, and he played extensively in just one game last year. At Baltimore on Dec. 19, Rodgers completed eight of 15 passes for 65 yards with one interception.
He has patiently waited his turn behind Favre but now will have to wait until the off-season to continue any work on the field.
Rodgers said he will have surgery probably this week, and he expects the doctors to put a screw of some sort in his foot, much like they did when rookie cornerback Will Blackmon broke his foot last spring. He said he hopes to be off the crutches in six weeks and able to move around on his own again in January, putting him in good shape to be fully recovered by the time McCarthy's "quarterback school" rolls around in March.
Rodgers said he will continue to go to all the quarterback meetings and film study sessions the rest of this season. He just won't be able to take the field during practice, which will be the hardest part for him.
{sportsad300}"I'm pretty bummed," he said. "I love going through a week of practice and preparation, working with the scout team. I'm daily trying to work on things to get better. Mentally I don't think it's sunk in yet, that I won't be able to do the things I used to do.
"It's definitely going to make me a better person I think and give me a greater love for the game, because it's been taken away."
As far as filling Rodgers' spot on the roster, McCarthy said he and General Manager Ted Thompson are exploring all the options. McCarthy didn't know if they'd sign a quarterback to step into the No. 2 role, or if they would sign a No. 3 and elevate rookie Ingle Martin to the backup spot.
