Greg Jennings Injury: Scary Knee Injury Proves Why Packers Must Rest Starters

Green Bay Packers fans have to be scared with the way that Greg Jennings left the field yesterday against the Oakland Raiders. 

Aaron Rodgers didn’t like what he saw when Jennings went down to the grass at Lambeau Field clutching his knee. 

"Well, it didn't look very good," Rodgers said. "So we'll see what the MRI says tomorrow. And hopefully, we've got a bye wrapped up, so he really has close to five weeks before our [playoff] game."

However, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy called it a “sprain” and would look at it further.  

The knee injury has to alarm the Packers organization and fans that something like this can happen on any play. Let’s say that it’s a sprain and he could return next week. Would you want to see him play with a risk to re-injure that knee? 

Of course not.  

Why would you want to see Jennings run the risk of further damaging his knee, three weeks before the playoffs.  

The Jennings injury should make Packers fans want to see some of their starters see their playing time get reduced in the next few weeks. Green Bay should continue to start players like Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson, but only for two to three quarters. 

Now, I know what you’re counter argument is, “Look at what resting players did for the Colts during their run.” 

However, in those playoff losses, the Colts either ran into the eventual Super Bowl champions that year in the Pittsburgh Steelers, or the New England Patriots. Or they lost to the San Diego Chargers. 

The New Orleans Saints, are the one team that can keep the Packers from making it to Indianapolis for the Super Bowl. The Packers can rest, or play their starters for the rest of the regular season, and still could lose to a Saints team that is a mirror image of the Packers. 

The safe and smart move is to protect their best players before something happens to them like what happened to Jennings.  

Jennings' injury will not cripple this team, like an injury to Matthews, Woodson or Rodgers. However, this injury should be the wake up call as to what can happen if they play with fire going for 16-0. 

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