Adding a Quarterback, Plus Decisions on Sherrod and Finley Complicate Packers Roster Makeup
The Packers only have until Tuesday to decide Derek Sherrod's future. The clock is ticking, especially if they have to add a quarterback to the roster.
No official diagnosis has been or will be made on Aaron Rodgers until the Green Bay Packers quarterback undergoes further testing on Tuesday.
But if Rodgers misses even one game with a shoulder injury, the Packers must add another quarterback to their roster in time for this upcoming Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Packers simply cannot go into their Week 10 match-up with no backup plan to Seneca Wallace.
Perhaps the most obvious option would be to promote Scott Tolzien from the practice squad, although acquiring Matt Flynn is not out of the question.
Just last week, the Packers gave Tolzien a raise after receiving overtures from another NFL team. Even though he remains on the practice squad, Tolzien is being paid like he's on the 53-man roster.
Whoever the Packers add, they would have to make room by cutting a player or placing one on injured reserve. And if there's even the remotest of chance Aaron Rodgers will return before the end of the season, the Packers aren't about to place the face of their franchise on I.R.
Further complicating matters is the decision the Packers must make on offensive lineman Derek Sherrod, who's currently on the Physically Unable to Perform list, but whose three-week window of practice ends on Tuesday.
Sherrod must either be activated, placed on injured reserve or released by Tuesday, leaving the Packers with only a little over 24 hours to make such a decision.
Before Rodgers' injury, it appeared as if there was a clear path for Sherrod to be activated to the 53-man roster by placing tight end Jermichael Finley on season-ending injured reserve with a serious neck injury.
There has been no official determination on Finley's injury either, but the Packers are running out of time. Either he can play or he can't, but it seems unlikely the Packers are going to take any chances when a player's quality of life could be in jeopardy.
If the Packers are dead set on promoting Scott Tolzien from the practice squad, there's no urgency to make a roster move. He can take part in practice all week long.
The Packers, however, would have to make a roster move by Saturday to make room for Tolzien.
Comments (24)
November 05, 2013 at 10:47 am
Yeah, a lot of decisions are going to have to be made, very quickly.
I am so confused on this Aaron Rodgers thing right now. I hear he has fractured collarbone and is out 3 weeks. Then I hear that he has to do further tests and nothing has been determined yet.
My biggest question is, if he indeed have a fractured collarbone as reported, wouldn't he had to of had his arm in a sling last night?
November 05, 2013 at 10:53 am
He never really pulled the left arm out of his jacket after coming back from the locker room. Guess is he used the jacket as a pseudo sling to stay out of the spotlight.
November 05, 2013 at 11:03 am
Yeah, the pocket/sling thing caught my eye too. But the way he jogged back to the locker room gave me hope. Who knows.
November 05, 2013 at 11:03 am
Would the doctors allow him to do that if they determined he had a fractured collarbone? I don't think they would have.
November 05, 2013 at 11:10 am
If he's Aaron Rodgers and he insists and says he'll just keep it in his pocket and not move it...maybe?
I could very easily see him refusing to go back out there in a sling.
November 05, 2013 at 11:40 am
Yeah, I don't doubt that any.
I really wish we would hear some miracle news that it wasn't as bad as first thought and he would miss 1 game at most.
If its true that Rodgers would miss 3 games. The Packers 'could' go 2-3 in the next 3. Eagles, Giants, Vikings. That is 3 games that we could win even without Rodgers.
BUT, the defense has to play A LOT better then last night.
That is about as optimistic as I can be. In reality i'm thinking in the next 3 games they will win 1 at most.
November 05, 2013 at 11:01 am
just a theory:
http://teawithstavrogin.blogspot.com/2013/11/mhem-happens-packers-signin...
November 05, 2013 at 11:05 am
For Packers fans, what's worse than losing to the Bears?
Answer: Losing your franchise quarterback in the same game.
Today all of Packer Nation should be eligible for some kind of disability benefits. We all woke up this morning feeling the effects of PTSD!
November 05, 2013 at 11:21 am
Keep in mind Lang also had a concussion. We have a short week to turn around and play Philly.
Can he come back and play? Because that's one more roster spot right there.
November 05, 2013 at 11:31 am
That doesn't solve the issue of clearing a roster spot for another QB.
No matter what the Packers are going to have to get a new QB on the 53. Whether it is Tolzien or Flynn or someone else, they have to clear a roster spot for him.
Right now I would guess that Finley probably goes on IR.
They also have to figure out what to do with Sherrod. If he can play, they are going to want him to be on the 53 man roster. So basically they have to clear 2 spots on the 53. Finley is one and then maybe Mulumba would be 2?
NFL HAS to adjust its injury rules. Allow teams to have more options with injury's, other then IR and 1 person on short term IR.
November 05, 2013 at 11:34 am
If Mulumba is 2, then they need to bring in another OLB...so that's another roster spot.
November 05, 2013 at 11:46 am
Yeah, my only hope is that Perry or Mathews will be able to play.
I am not sure what they will do. I am not even sure what Mulumba's injury is at this point.
November 05, 2013 at 11:31 am
i think lang has to sit out a game if he has a concussion. it looks like we'll have the same O-line that we did last night after he went out (newhouse at RT and lang at RG). i would love to see sherrod in there but the guy hasn't played football in 2 years.
November 05, 2013 at 12:28 pm
My point is, they only had 7 OL to start with! Now Lang's gonna be out?
We're gonna go into a game with 6 OL on the roster!? Really?
November 05, 2013 at 11:37 am
There's another option out there at QB - Graham Harrell. Knows the offense, certainly has more zip on the ball than Seneca.
November 05, 2013 at 11:50 am
If Harrell was the better option they would have kept him.
November 05, 2013 at 11:40 am
My wife was saying they have an X brace that stabilizes the shoulder and was probably under the jacket.
Years ago My daughter broke her wrist on a Friday. The doctor had us come back on Monday to take more x-rays. he explained that breaks don't show up right on way on film but after a few days the calcium would start to heal the break and it would show up clearly.
We returned and sure enough the break was visible and confirmed what we suspected.
I would hazard to guess this is what Rogers is in a waiting game situation right now. If so the good news its not a fracture that is easily seen and would take a long time to heal.
November 05, 2013 at 11:41 am
The pack is sunk with this latest injury. I'm so happy that there is a god.
November 05, 2013 at 11:53 am
To me. Last nights game was the first time that the injury's cost the Packers a game. This is where the injury's finally caught up to them an cost them a victory.
November 05, 2013 at 10:35 pm
disagree,burnett out at SF absolutely killed us.we barely can squeek by with one shitty safety(md jennings) but with two in the same game(mcmillian) we never had a chance to stop SF. and no lacy or finley for cincy might have cost us that one too
November 05, 2013 at 11:53 am
Oh well. It will be interesting to say the least. I would hope Sherrod is ready to play if only because of the less than stellar play of our O'Line.
November 05, 2013 at 12:30 pm
I'd hope there's a roster spot for him.
They have to activate him TODAY, or IR him. Which means he won't be able to practice until offseason work.
That's a long time to be out of football. Not to mention how thin we are at the position.
November 05, 2013 at 12:31 pm
If it's just a chip fracture, I say: PUT ON A FLAK JACKET!
Get your ass out there Aaron!
November 05, 2013 at 01:59 pm
The QB position could be a simple fix.
Promote Scotty to the 53, cut Wallace, sign Coleman to the PS... done.