Aaron Rodgers has been in the NFL for 14 seasons. As a seasoned veteran, he feels he doesn’t need preseason. Many speculate and say that since the Green Bay Packers have a new head coach, Matt LaFleur, and a new offensive scheme, Rodgers should play. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio is one of the many. Florio mentions that the starting quarterback did not play against the Baltimore Ravens due to back tightness. He then goes on to say, “Here’s the problem. New offense. Aaron Rodgers needs to learn the new offense. And he didn’t play Week 1 of the preseason. Didn’t play Week 2. Will he play Week 3 in Winnipeg when the Packers take on the Oakland Raiders?” Florio explains that Rodgers needs to “be on the field” to prepare for the Chicago Bears defense. Meanwhile, Rodgers states that he gets enough exposure to the new offensive scheme at practice.
Aaron Rodgers Doesn’t Need to Play Preseason to Be Ready for Regular Season
Rodgers explains that no matter what happens during the preseason, nothing can shake his confidence in the team. He feels that through May, June, July, and August training camp practices, the team has gelled together and understands the new offense.
Zach Kruse of Packers Wire theorizes that Rodgers does not need to play in the preseason for the following reasons:
“– Offenses run simple, vanilla schemes.
– Defenses run simple, vanilla schemes.
– Practice reps are often more valuable than preseason reps.
– Preseason results don’t matter or carry over to the regular season.”
These points perfectly sum up Rodgers’ explanation. Sure, the offense is new this year, but Rodgers has the necessary experience to not need preseason. For Florio to insinuate that the Packers won’t be able to handle the Bears defense if Rodgers doesn’t play preseason games is ludicrous. Kruse writes that the Pack runs live-game situations in practices and can execute any play call they see fit. Because most teams will run simple or vanilla schemes in the preseason, these games are not worth experienced veterans’ time.
The Tension That Wasn’t There
Florio also claimed that Rodgers taking reps in the preseason was causing tension between the quarterback and his head coach. This is another example of the media creating a story of drama and tension in the locker room at 1265 Lombardi Ave. However, LaFleur said, “I have so much confidence in him and I know our guys do as well, and we’ve gotten a lot of good work, so I’m not overly concerned either way, whether he plays or not.” LaFleur knows he can trust Rodgers and his preparation.
Additionally, Rodgers points out that the Los Angeles Rams do not play starters during the preseason, yet no one is talking about that. The Rams proved that preseason isn’t necessary for veterans by reaching Super Bowl LIII.
The Packers Need a Healthy Rodgers
It’s no secret that the Packers are better with Aaron Rodgers on the field at 100%. In 2017, Rodgers broke his collarbone after taking a late hit from Anthony Barr. He was sidelined for most of the remaining 2017-2018 season. In 2018, Rodgers sustained a knee injury in Week 1 vs. the Bears. He played through the injury, which compromised his performance for the remainder of the 2018-2019 season. They missed the playoffs the last two seasons, falling short of what Titletown expects to see.
Giving Rodgers preseason snaps proves nothing and increases the risk of injury. The Packers should continue to sit Rodgers in hope of keeping him healthy for the games that will actually matter.
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