In the wake of receiving medical clearance and practicing in full with the team all week, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is all but ready -- and anxious -- to return to the field.

But is his offensive line?

Rodgers is returning to live game action this Sunday for the first time since his Oct. 15 collarbone injury in Minnesota, and it'll fall on the shoulders of his five starting offensive linemen to keep him upright.

One of the lingering fears with Rodgers' return, which by many is considered premature, is that he isn't at the point in his rehabilitation process where he can sufficiently take a hit from a 300-pound defensive lineman. The reality is; if he couldn't, he wouldn't be suiting up to play in Carolina tomorrow.

The Packers possess one of the more notoriously conservative training staffs in the league, despite the claims spewed by former tight end Martellus Bennett at the expense of team doctor, Pat McKenzie. That's often a good thing, unless you're a player like Rodgers whose itch to get back on the field has been well-documented.

Former NFL team physician David Chao, MD, offered insight on the potential re-injury in the event of Rodgers playing.

"Rodgers could suffer a break at the fracture site or the screws could pull out," Chao wrote in the San Diego Union-Tribune. "The plates he had inserted during surgery in October are metal and unlikely to break, no matter how hard he is hit or slammed to the ground. And he was double-plated. The most likely break would come at the end of the plates, though even that possibility is remote."

While Rodgers won't be 100 percent healed until six months after his Oct. 19 surgery, he's good enough to play by his week 15 target date. That still doesn't mean you want to see him take unnecessary hits.

That's where an offensive line that swapped a plethora of interchangeable pieces early this season comes into play.

The only starter missing is Bryan Bulaga at right tackle, and he's on injured reserve with a torn ACL. He was swapped out for 2016 second-round pick, Jason Spriggs, who has started the last three games for the Packers after being placed on IR in September.

Spriggs was one of the two original IR return designations used by the team this season, and they're expected to use their second sometime on Saturday for Rodgers, who will officially be elevated to the active roster.

With Spriggs, he's certainly shown more lackluster performances than he has good, however, he put together a fine performance in the overtime win against the Cleveland Browns last Sunday. Spriggs isn't guaranteed to start against the Panthers despite this, as he was added to the Thursday injury report with a hip injury after dropping out of practice. 

"I thought he did some good things last week," said coach Mike McCarthy this week. "Our fits in the run game weren't quite what we were looking for early in the game, but I thought once we got going, he played well."

Justin McCray, almost a carbon copy of Don Barclay in terms of versatility, has become the "do-it-all" man in the trenches for the Packers. He's had four starts at right tackle this season and played a handful of snaps at left, giving the Packers a reliable, yet, inexperienced option that can certainly hold his own weight. McCray had yet to play in an NFL game prior to this season.

If Spriggs can go, which McCarthy is evidently confident that he will, McCray's services won't be needed, but having him on-hand helps significantly. The offensive line is stepping into one of their toughest, most vital three-game stretches in recent memory. They'll be protecting a somewhat hindered Rodgers, who will almost inevitably have his surgically-repaired shoulder on his conscience through the duration of Sunday's 60-minute clash in Carolina.

The Packers may very well take pressure off of both Rodgers and their offensive line by designing more of a quick-strike type of schematic structure that does all but get the ball out of Rodgers' hands as rapidly as possible.

It likely won't be a similar situation to the latter stage of the 2014 season where the Packers incorporated heavy pistol looks into their offense to take the pressure off of Rodgers' strained calf. Rodgers may not even alter his playing style after missing the last seven games, and if that's so, the fifth-seeded Panthers could be in trouble.