The thumb injury to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is more severe than known.
Rodgers’ injury suffered during a 27-22 loss to the Giants in London on Oct. 9, is actually an avulsion fracture of the thumb, sources say. It is serious enough that surgery is almost always the answer to fix this type of injury, according to people with knowledge of Rodgers’ fracture.
An avulsion fracture can happen when extreme force — such as a hit from Giants linebacker Oshane Ximines — causes the ligament to rip away from the attachment, taking some bone with it. Essentially, it is a fracture and a torn ligament, resulting in joint instability.
That can affect grip, accuracy, and basically everything a quarterback does with his hands on the football.
Rodgers has not missed a game since suffering the injury and will play today against the Eagles. Rodgers told reporters on Wednesday that surgery has not been considered this season.
He has been listed on the injury report (right thumb) since Week 6 and has been limited in several practices. This week, for instance, Rodgers was limited on Wednesday, practiced fully on Thursday and Friday, and was off the injury report by Friday night.
The thumb injury first came to light when a Packers fan and podcaster named Big B Rodgers asked about the injury during his Make-A-Wish weekend, and Rodgers admitted it was broken.
“His thumb was still really bruised and swollen last Saturday,” said Big B, of the Underage Packers Podcast.
Rodgers is on pace for one of the worst statistical seasons of his illustrious career, missing throws he usually makes. He also is on track for the second-worst passer rating of his career. He has shrugged off the injury whenever asked.
“I think I’ve had worse injuries I’ve played with,” Rodgers told reporters this week, adding that while his thumb was worse earlier in the season, it hasn’t really gotten much better, either. “There would be a couple plays every game, maybe a snap slightly inside or a hit that might jolt it a little bit. Just dealing with the occasional kind of dull pain and working through it.”
As one source explained, if it hasn’t healed by now, surgery is almost always the only way to help it heal. Clearly in this case, that would come only after Rodgers is done playing for this season.