Aaron Rodgers Injury: Updates on Packers Star's Hamstring and Recovery

Updates from Friday, Nov. 7

ESPN's Jason Wilde, the Packers and Cheesehead TV's Zach Kruse provide an update on Rodgers' status for Sunday:

Updates from Monday, Nov. 3

Jason Wilde of ESPN reported the latest on Aaron Rodgers following his hamstring injury:

Original Text

Green Bay Packers superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers injured his hamstring in the third quarter of Week 8's 44-23 road loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Packers head coach Mike McCarthy commented on Rodgers' status after the game, per the team's official Twitter account:

Will he miss any time? Rodgers doesn't think so:

Rodgers managed to complete the game following the scramble, and he wasn't hit as he came up limping along the sideline deep in Saints territory. He wound up throwing for 418 yards and accounting for two total touchdowns at the Superdome.

A broken collarbone suffered last season had Cheeseheads—not to mention countless fantasy football enthusiasts—on the edge of their seats anticipating when Rodgers would return. Something similar will certainly be in store in the wake of Rodgers' latest ailment.

Even though he missed seven full starts in 2013, Rodgers returned, shook off any lingering rust and led Green Bay to the NFC North title in Week 17, defeating the rival Chicago Bears.

Following a second consecutive playoff loss to the mighty San Francisco 49ers, a retooled Packers defense, a slightly tweaked supporting cast of skill players and a power running game heightened expectations.

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News even predicted in the offseason that Rodgers would win NFL MVP:

Rodgers certainly performed like one deserving of such an accolade to start this year. In guiding the Packers to a 5-2 record, he threw 18 touchdowns to just one interception and compiled a 117.3 passer rating in those seven starts.

John Middlekauff of Comcast SportsNet analyzed Rodgers' sensational play:

Those gaudy stats were posted in spite of perpetual problems on the offensive line and the absence of a consistent rushing attack.

Quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt hinted just before training camp began that the team was doing what it could to keep Rodgers protected better, per Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

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We've got to be smart about what we're asking [Rodgers] to do Try to get the ball out of his hand quicker. It's something you look at and can improve on...take hits off him.

[...] We've cleaned up some things in protection in the off-season that could help in that as well. For him, it's just making good decisions and getting the ball out of his hands as quick as you can. [...] In today's game, the explosive plays are so big, and he's good at it. There's a fine line between making the decision to get to the check-down or trying to extend the play.  We've just got to be smarter about when we extend and when we get it out of our hand. It's down and distance, the game situation, flow of the game.

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Should Rodgers not be quite right following a Week 9 bye, the Packers will once again call on Matt Flynn to emulate his backup heroics of the past.

Due to his mobility, Rodgers leaves himself susceptible to some punishment by extending plays, but Sunday's hamstring injury was more of a fluky play than anything else.

With how smart Rodgers is and how quick he releases the ball in Green Bay's West Coast offense, though, McCarthy can adjust schematics or try to pound the rock more with bruising running back Eddie Lacy. Those tactics can aid the effort to avoid similar, potentially cataclysmic scenarios involving Rodgers in the future.