Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is once again having to set the record straight when it comes to the injured pinky toe — but at least this time he didn’t have to flash his foot on camera.
Contrary to a previous report from NFL Network, Rodgers admitted that he and the Packers are still weighing the possibility of having surgery on his injured toe between now and the team’s next game against the Chicago Bears on December 12. He also reaffirmed that he is “not going to miss any time” even if he does decide to undergo a procedure that he says would “immobilize the toe.”
“We’re hoping to avoid surgery obviously, but the surgery would be such a minor one (that) it wouldn’t be one that I’d have to miss time with,” Rodgers said during his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on November 30. “That’s a prereq for any surgery that I have at this point. I’m not going to miss any time. We’ll kind of reassess after next week and make a decision, but it’s something where I could have surgery on a Monday or Tuesday and play on Sunday.”
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Rodgers: Surgery Would ‘Immobilize’ Toe
Rodgers’ injury has become quite the talking point in the weeks since he returned from the reserve/COVID-19 list and was added to the injury report with a new toe issue. While it has not stopped him from playing — and playing well — he could be seen limping around the field at times during Week 12’s win over the Los Angeles Rams. He has also not been able to participate in practice since coming back on November 13, making the team’s bye week crucial in determining the next steps for him.
Admittedly, Rodgers has said the toe injury is “very, very painful” and stems from an issue with the bone in his pinky toe that feels “worse than turf toe,” but he is also still hoping to time off and rest during the bye week will provide him with enough relief. He would like to avoid surgery even if the procedure would not cause him to miss time.
“The surgery would immobilize the toe,” Rodgers explained Tuesday. “So then that would be an issue the entire season I would be dealing with. Now, maybe (it would) avoid further displacement, but it would immobilize the toe, so we’re hoping that with a couple weeks here we can get enough healing that maybe we can avoid doing that. We’ll reassess later this week, early next week, but the ultimate goal is to not have to do surgery, this thing heals up a little better and you can make it through a few more weeks and maybe it doesn’t bother you the last few weeks of the season.”
Rodgers Suggests Possible Source for Insider Leaks
Rodgers’ clarification comes a day after NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero had reported that the three-time MVP quarterback “does not plan to have surgery on his toe at this time,” giving the impression a decision had been made about whether he would have a procedure done during the bye week. While their joint report was vague enough to cover them if Rodgers does eventually have surgery, it raises questions about who is leaking information on the status of his toe injury.
Turns out, Rodgers might have some idea where the NFL insiders are getting their information. Here’s a telling exchange he had on McAfee’s show with former Packers teammate AJ Hawk where he mentioned past issues with coaches leaking information to members of the media and suggested the same thing might be happening now:
“Yeah, look, again with these reports, I don’t know where they’re coming from,” Rodgers said. “I don’t know who’s talking. It seems like there are certain coaches that may have friends in the media that they don’t realize are actually trying to report things.”
“Guys on Green Bay’s staff you’re saying?” Hawk asked for clarification.
“Well yeah, AJ, you’ve known about that. There were guys for a while who had their people they would leak stuff to,” Rodgers added.
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Aaron Rodgers Refutes Insider’s Report About Toe Surgery