Aaron Rodgers had a goal to be back under center by Thanksgiving. That would mean the quarterback has four days to prepare considering the Packers take on the Raiders off short rest. After Scott Tolzien was benched in favor of Matt Flynn resulting in a tie with the Minnesota Vikings, it is clear the Packers would like Rodgers back as soon as possible. However, head coach Mike McCarthy is not about to rush things despite the push for the playoffs.
"I don't have an answer for you" was the response McCarthy gave when asked about the possibility of Rodgers returning for the Thanksgiving showdown. Now, McCarthy also said the "no idea" referred to which quarterback in general would be starting for the team against the Detroit Lions. Both Tolzien and Flynn saw their share of struggles on Sunday, leaving the Packers shorthanded at quarterback.
Flynn stepped in for the rookie and passes for 218 yards, assisting in a 16-point comeback attempt for Green Bay. He entered with 8:22 left in the third quarter as the Packers trailed 20-7. McCarthy noted the change was simply to try and get a spark going in the offense, something Tolzien could not provide.
"We were looking for a spark. That's directly what the communication was," McCarthy said, via ESPN.com. "We thought we had some opportunities early. We have a history with Matt. Did I think he was necessarily ready as far as the amount of reps and everything getting ready? That was not available to him since he's been here, but he went out and played football and did a lot of good things today."
So where does that leave Green Bay for Thursday? The Packers medical staff will reportedly reevaluate Rodgers on Monday to see how his collarbone is progressing. It is a short week so the outlook is certainly not optimistic, but Rodgers has said he is no longer feeling any pain while throwing which makes him a possible option. Rodgers has said he would have to be practicing by Tuesday if a Thursday start was realistic.
"We need to sit down as a staff, frankly, and talk about the things that went on today and how that affects our planning for Detroit," McCarthy said. "Just like we always do when we step away from the staff room, we'll do what's in the best interests of our football team and gives us the best chance to win."
Flynn is still an option to start and help get the win for the Packers. He certainly proved Green Bay is the place where he can be the most successful. The fact that the quarterback was able to give Green Bay enough momentum to at least tie keeps them in the playoff race. Who knows what would have happened if Flynn was the starter. Detroit's defense is certainly a lot tougher than Minnesota's but Flynn would still give the team a fighting chance.
