Aaron Rodgers' 'gutsy' return from injury surprised, inspired Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- When Aaron Rodgers needed assistance getting off the field and was carted to the locker room late in the second quarter Sunday with a left calf injury, most Green Bay Packers players assumed that was the end of their star quarterback's night.

Randall Cobb saw Rodgers at halftime on top of the trainers table. Their conversation wasn't long, but as Cobb turned his attention to the second half it was with the assumption that he'd be catching passes from Rodgers' backup, Matt Flynn.

"I for sure thought he was done for the night," Cobb said.

As the Packers offense took the field to begin the third quarter, there was no sign of Rodgers anywhere. Flynn was behind center and got sacked on third down, forcing Green Bay to punt after a three-and-out series.

That was Rodgers' cue.

Emerging from the tunnel to a thunderous ovation and chants of "M-V-P" from the 78,408 fans in attendance, Rodgers slowly walked over to the Packers sideline.

"I had no idea if he was coming back out to play or not," right tackle Bryan Bulaga said. "I thought he was just coming back out to watch."

Rodgers grabbed a football on the sideline and began to throw. That didn't necessarily mean he was returning. Then Rodgers mixed in some jumping exercises in between passes. That was an encouraging sign. Then Rodgers grabbed his helmet. Getting closer.

Soon, Rodgers put the helmet on his head and jogged out to the field with the rest of the offense.

"That's just about as gutsy as it gets," Bulaga said. "That's the type of guy he is. He loves competition, he loves playing football."

Cobb described Rodgers' return as "dramatic," but there were still several issues to be addressed. The scoreboard was one of them. When Rodgers fell to the field untouched and further injured the left calf that he hurt a week earlier, his touchdown pass gave Green Bay a 14-0 lead. Rodgers only missed four offensive plays in total, but by the time he returned Detroit had come back to tie the game at 14.

There was also the fact that the Packers had to alter their offense so that Rodgers wouldn't have to test his calf injury any more than absolutely necessary.

"I don't think we moved him around," head coach Mike McCarthy said. "I think just the movement part of our game plan was (over with). ... He did everything from the pocket. We kept him in the gun."

It was possible, too, that Rodgers could have made his injury situation worse than it already was. That's a considerable risk to take considering Green Bay had already clinched a playoff spot and still had a chance to win this game without Rodgers.

"There was risk for sure," Rodgers said.

That didn't sway Rodgers from deciding to get back on the field.

"In this case I think it was kind of on me, see how I felt," Rodgers said. "But I trust Doc (Pat) McKenzie with my health. We had a long conversation at halftime."

Rodgers used heat and tape on his injured calf -- which he said was in a "different spot" than the area on his calf that was injured a week earlier, but he did not take any painkillers.

Basically playing on one leg and only able to walk slowly to the line of scrimmage after big gains, Rodgers led the Packers on two touchdown drives in the second half. He even took it upon himself to call a quarterback sneak and dive into the end zone for a touchdown run.

"Doc and I have a great trust between each other," Rodgers said. "We did a little fist pound and after I told him I felt good and Mike said 'OK,' and he just trusted I wasn't going to do anything stupid. I didn't feel like the quarterback sneak fell into the stupid category. He might have differed with his opinion there."

Rodgers' effort ignited Green Bay to a 30-20 victory. It gave the Packers their fourth consecutive division title and a first-round bye, as well as continuing their 23-year Wisconsin winning streak over the Lions.

"He's the leader of the team," Julius Peppers said. "When we see him come back out, it's a boost of energy."

Rodgers completed 11 of his 13 second-half passes for 129 yards.

"I don't think I did anything heroic tonight," Rodgers said. "I just have a strong desire to compete. I love the competitive nature of the game that we get to play, and I'm just blessed to be able to play this game."

Rodgers had to do more than outperform Detroit's defense. He had to deal with Ndamukong Suh, whose reputation as a dirty player added another chapter. Suh stepped backwards onto Rodgers' left leg. It can be debated whether Suh was initially pushed backwards into him, but the second step onto Rodgers' injured area makes that argument a more difficult one to win.

"I didn't see it live, I didn't see it on the Jumbotron, but from what I'm told, I'm told it was ridiculous," McCarthy said. "There's no place for that. That's where I'm at with it. I don't understand it, frankly."

Added Rodgers, "He'll probably say it was an accident. That's what (referee) Walt Anderson said. But we'll see."

Right guard T.J. Lang didn't see the play, but he approached Suh after hearing Rodgers' side of it.

"Later in the game I was blocking (Suh), and he's a guy that likes to play through the whistle sometimes, and so I kind of matched his effort, and he got a little upset at me," Lang said. "I won't say what he was saying to me. That's not safe for work language."

As the final seconds ticked off the clock at Lambeau Field, Rodgers had done everything that the Packers could have possibly hoped to get out of their leader. It might have also been just what Rodgers needed to secure the second Most Valuable Player award of his career.

"Aaron Rodgers, I don't know what to say about him," McCarthy said. "The fact that he can come back out after the calf injury and to perform on a limited game plan and play at the level he continues to play at, that he played at, I thought was extraordinary.

"It was clearly an MVP performance, another MVP performance by Aaron Rodgers."

Clay Matthews summed it up best.

"We needed him, and he's obviously the MVP for a reason," Matthews said. "If this doesn't solidify it today, I don't know what will."

Follow Paul Imig on Twitter

Source: http://www.foxsports.com/wisconsin/story/aaron-rodgers-gutsy-return-from-injury-surprised-inspired-green-bay-packers-122814