Evan Siegle/Green Bay Packers
Brett Hundley threw three interceptions in a 23-0 shutout loss to the Ravens.
Wearing a Green Bay Packers hoodie in public these days is an open invitation for strangers to start a conversation with you about Aaron Rodgers.
“I heard he might be back sooner than expected,” one of the tellers at my bank recently informed me, referring to Green Bay’s 33-year-old, six-time All-Pro quarterback who suffered a fractured right collarbone on Oct. 15 against the Minnesota Vikings. He will potentially miss the rest of the season.
“The Packers without Rodgers is like a rower without an oar,” somebody else said later. That one made me laugh — probably because it’s true.
With third-year backup quarterback Brett Hundley at the helm for the first three games after Rodgers went down (all losses, including that Vikings game), Green Bay rolled into Soldier Field on Nov. 12 and beat the Chicago Bears, 23-16. Hundley completed 72 percent of his passes in the best performance of his career.
But at Lambeau Field against the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 19, he tossed three interceptions and endured a half-dozen sacks in a 23-0 shutout that was even uglier than it sounds (and I’m not just talking about the Packers’ throwback uniforms.)
Rodgers took snaps in practice on Nov. 15, his first since having two plates and 13 screws inserted into his collarbone. Head coach Mike McCarthy reported that the quarterback is “making really good progress” and “moving right along.”
If he keeps moving right along, Rodgers would be eligible to come off the injured reserve list for the Packers’ game against the Carolina Panthers on Dec. 17. But don’t hold your breath, especially if the season is a lost cause by then.
Other Packers injuries are causing grief for Green Bay, too. Starting tackle Bryan Bulaga will miss the rest of the year with a torn ACL in his right knee, and a return-to-play date for starting safety Morgan Burnett, out with a groin injury, is unknown. Also, outside linebacker Clay Matthews left the Ravens game in the second quarter, also with a groin injury.
On top of all that, Rodgers’ injury is hurting ticket sales. Travis Loftus, manager of online ticket retailer Ticket King, told Green Bay radio station WTAQ that prices have dropped “at least 35 percent for most of the games.”
Green Bay, 5-5, travels to 8-2 Pittsburgh for a prime time Sunday night game on Nov. 26, where a loss could doom the Packers’ playoff hopes. Even if they do manage to squeak into the postseason, they likely won’t go far.
Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the Packers' record. At the time of publication, the team was 5-5, not 4-6.
