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Packers’ Philbin not planning to sit Rodgers

The Sports Xchange

December 18, 2018 at 11:11 am.

Green Bay Packers interim coach Joe Philbin does not intend to shut down star quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the final two weeks of the season.

Rodgers sustained a mild groin injury on the final play of Sunday’s 24-17 setback to the Chicago Bears, a loss that eliminated the Packers (5-8-1) from postseason consideration.

“I think when you sign up for the 2018 NFL season, you sign up for a 16-game season and hopefully you earn the opportunity to extend that and to compete for a championship,” the 57-year-old Philbin said, via ESPN.

“Obviously the extension part is over. That being said, you’re a football player, you’re part of a team and your one role is to the contribute to the overall success of the team. And the team has an opportunity to win a game Sunday against the New York Jets, and if our players, they should want to participate because they’re good teammates and they should. I think that’s their obligation to the team. So we’ll see. If there are other discussions contrary to that, we’ll certainly cross that bridge and discuss it.

“Again, I think it’s bigger than Aaron Rodgers. This is a football team. You’re a football player. You’re employed by the Green Bay Packers just like if players or coaches were to say, ‘Geez I’d like to go home tonight and not prepare as hard for this game because we’re not going to the playoffs,’ I mean, that’s not a professional approach to the job, I don’t think.”

For his part, Rodgers said he wanted to close out the season on the field despite admitting that the injury “bothered me a little bit.”

A two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, Rodgers has thrown for 3,974 yards with 23 touchdowns against two interceptions this season.

Backup quarterback DeShone Kizer would get the nod on Sunday (1 p.m. ET) should the Packers opt to keep the 35-year-old Rodgers on the sideline against the Jets (4-10).

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