Green Bay Packers Would Be Wise to Rest Starters in Week 17

The Green Bay Packers have clinched everything that there is to clinch in the NFC. They are the No. 1 seed, they have a bye in the first-round of the playoffs, they have home-field advantage, and they can't go undefeated. It is for all these reasons that head coach Mike McCarthy must rest his starters in Week 17. 

McCarthy has not yet made a decision on what he is going to do, but he did say after Sunday's victory over the Chicago Bears that he wants the win in the final game of the year. 

From Packers.com:

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“We’re going to play to win the game next week. I’m not real comfortable with a division opponent coming in here and not thinking we’re going to play to get win No. 15,” McCarthy said, but he then added that the health of his team heading into the postseason is a concern, which suggests McCarthy will rest key players.

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There is no reason to risk injuries to key players to win a game that means absolutely nothing to them or their playoff positioning. And anyone who talks about the integrity of the game clearly doesn't understand the point of competition. 

The purpose of playing in the NFL, or any other sport for that matter, is to win championships, not to throw your players out there in games that don't mean anything. 

The only reason that the Packers would have had to play their starters in this game is if they were going for 19-0, but all of that went away two weeks ago in their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. 

It is far better to be safe than sorry in a situation like this. All it takes is one wrong hit to Aaron Rodgers' knee to ruin everything that the Packers have been building towards this season. 

There is nothing that this team can do next week that is going to have any bearing on their playoff positioning, or the way that we perceive them.

They will still be the favorites to win the Super Bowl for the second consecutive year, they will still have the best record in the NFL, and everyone else must come to Lambeau Field. 

Rodgers' pursuit of Tom Brady's touchdown record—he is at 45 right now and needs five in the final game to tie—is meaningless if he takes a bad hit and is unable to perform in the playoffs. 

Health, not winning a meaningless game, is the Packers' biggest concern right now, as it should be. They need all their playmakers ready and able to go on January 14 or 15. 

They need to treat this game like the first preseason game, give the starters a few snaps and tell them thanks for their contribution to this game, they are done. 

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