Thursday Cheese Curds: Aaron Rodgers has sights on beating Bears yet again

Dec 1, 2022 - 3:20 PM

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Surely, Chicago Bears fans must have felt a brief wave of relief wash over them when Aaron Rodgers left last Sunday night’s game in Philadelphia with an injury to his ribs. At that point, with Jordan Love coming on to close out the game, it appeared highly unlikely that Rodgers would return this coming Sunday when the Green Bay Packers visit Soldier Field.

With little left to play for and Rodgers seemingly suffering a serious injury, he wouldn’t be on the field for the week 13 game between the Packers and Bears, right?

Instead, Rodgers appears to have his sights set on suiting up again this Sunday, and torturing Bears fans is at least a small part of his motivation to do so. Rodgers’ pride will not allow him to sit out a game when he can play and when the Packers still have any mathematical possibility of making the postseason, however small, so expect him to be on the field as the Packers try to pick on a banged-up Bears defense that has struggled mightily this season.

As an added bonus, he may do so with both of the Packers’ dynamic rookie receivers on the field together, which would be the first time they’re both active for the same game since week 9, when both players left the Packers’ loss to the Lions with first-half injuries. If Packers fans have no other motivation to watch on Sunday, seeing both Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson together should be reason enough to tune in.

Rodgers would have 'open mind' about conversation of change to Love | Packersnews.com
How long will Rodgers' pride come before what's best for the Packers?

Aaron Rodgers and the Bears: How much longer can he torture them? - The Athletic ($)
Then again, there is something beautiful about watching Rodgers dismantle the Bears, and this year's Chicago defense looks particularly susceptible to another vintage Rodgers performance -- if he's able to play effectively given his injuries.

Packers’ rookie receiving duo might finally play together again | Packers.com
Sunday might be just the fourth game all year that the two rookies suit up at the same time and the first since Christian Watson's breakout. How the two complement each other will be an important storyline to watch down the stretch this season.

Packers Face Challenging Future in NFC North - Sports Illustrated
With quarterback questions, the Packers face an uncertain future. But the rest of the division appears to be on the rise, with the Lions improving (and possible holding a top-five pick anyway) and the Bears showing at least some signs of long-term promise.

Packers restructure contract of DL Dean Lowry, creating $1.1M of cap space | Packers Wire
Lowry's deal shifts cap money into next year. This might be necessary for a contract extension or it could be a sign that the Packers plan to send a few veterans to injured reserve and will need a little extra cap space for their replacements.

John Hadl, former Chargers quarterback, dies at age of 82 | NFL.com
The former Packers QB passed away this week and we extend our condolences to his family. The Packers traded for Hadl in 1974.

Bats use same techniques as metal singers to vocalize, study finds | CNN
However, they choose to sound more like Ronnie James Dio than Ozzy Osbourne, given the species' unfortunate history with the latter.