Packers’ QB Aaron Rodgers is being examined for a rib injury he suffered in Sunday’s loss to Philadelphia.
Initially, Rodgers looked to have suffered an oblique injury in the second quarter after he was knocked to the ground and landed awkwardly. But in the third quarter he was brought down hard on a sack, which appears to be where the injury occurred or was made worse.
He managed to play through the remainder of the third quarter, visibly in pain, but was removed at the start of the fourth. Rodgers was replaced by Jordan Love and was later seen on the sidelines out of uniform.
Following the game, he told the media he was dealing with a rib injury and that initial tests ruled out a punctured lung. Rodgers then added that he would undergo additional testing on Monday and, if those tests reveal no additional damage, he expects to play in Week 13 against Chicago.
Rib injuries are incredibly painful to deal with, especially for athletes. If a rib is cracked or fractured, every breath becomes painful as the expansion of the lungs moves the damaged rib. Athletes breathe harder and faster when they’re playing, causing consistent pain.
There also is no recovery that accelerates the healing process. Rib injuries simply require time to heal. A few things can be done to mitigate the pain, such as breathing exercises. Since full, deep breaths are painful when ribs are damaged, people suffering from these kinds of injuries often take shallow, rapid breaths, which can cause pneumonia. This is where the breathing exercises come into play.
On top of the potential rib fracture, Rodgers is dealing with an avulsion fracture in his right thumb. These fractures occur when a ligament or tendon tears off a small piece of a bone at the insertion site (where it’s attached) as a result of extreme tension on the ligament/tendon. In Rodgers’ case, that occurred when Giants’ OLB Oshane Ximines made contact with Rodgers’ throwing hand on a pass attempt in Week 5.
