The Green Bay Packers received more than a 23-10 loss at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday. They also lost their star player for an undisclosed period of time.
Aaron Rodgers might be out for the remainder of the season after suffering a broken collarbone during Green Bay’s loss to the Vikings on Sunday. Brett Hundley took over and all signs indicate he is going to be under center for the upcoming games. Green Bay is reportedly not thinking about a potential trade, and head coach Mike McCarthy said that Hundley “is my quarterback” following the loss against the division rivals.
There is nothing wrong to trust Hundley the keys to the offense. I mean, there is a reason why he’s stuck with the team as the number two on the depth chart. He is going to be serviceable, but can he carry the Packers to the postseason?
It’s hard to make a case for that scenario, especially considering how tight things are in the NFC North this season. Both the Vikings and the Detroit Lions can pull an upset against any team in the league, and the Chicago Bears have a young, scary defense. They are going to be a tough out despite their lack of talent on the offensive side of the ball.
McCarthy has options, though. Colin Kaepernick remains unsigned, although at this point no one thinks he will play during the current season. There COULD be decent names on the trade market. And Tony Romo is only one call away, right? If the Dolphins took Jay Cutler out of retirement, the Packers could easily do the same thing with Romo. But it seems that, at least for the time being, McCarthy will remain with Hundley as the starter. He was a high-upside option out of UCLA, and now he will have the chance to prove he belongs in the NFL.
His first appearance of the season against Minnesota did not go very well. Hundley finished 18 for 33 for 157 yards and a score in relief. But can he do a better job knowing he will have the entire week to prepare as a starter? Chances are high we might see the best of him after a few weeks. But let’s be clear – those numbers are not going to cut it. Especially on a team with Super Bowl aspirations as the Packers. Although their chances of making a deep playoff run evaporated as soon as Rodgers was carted off the field.
But even if Hundley does a good job, the Packers are facing a big trouble. They went from being NFC favorites to a borderline playoff team as soon as Rodgers went down. The big question is – can they bounce back and salvage their season? That’s a tough call.
Only time will tell what is going to happen with Green Bay. But their future looks cloudy, at best.