Green Bay Packers should sit Aaron Rodgers against the Detroit Lions

The Green Bay Packers have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Any NFC team hoping to make the Super Bowl has to go through Lambeau Field. Good luck with that.

Now that the Green Bay Packers own the NFC’s No. 1 seed, this Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions is a glorified preseason game.

The Lions currently sit at the bottom of the NFC North. All Detroit is playing for is putting on good game tape for all 32 NFL teams to see.

Since this is a meaningless game, and Aaron Rodgers is still nursing a toe injury, there is no need for him to be in uniform this Sunday for the Green Bay Packers.

Now, Rodgers did say his troublesome toe injury is getting better.

"“This is a first game that my toe got through the game without any issues,” Rodgers said, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. “No pregame painkiller shot. I’m feeling good. I’m happy about it. There was definitely a time a few weeks ago when I started to project out and think if we can get the one-seed, it could be two-plus weeks of rest. I’m going to play next week, and I expect Davante to play and our guys to play. So, we’re looking forward to finishing off the season on a high note and then getting the bye.”"

However, Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur did hint the starters would minimally play against the Lions.

That is fine as it can never hurt to make sure everyone gets some reps and not rest on their laurels heading into a bye.

At the same time, Rodgers is too important to the Green Bay Packers Super Bowl aspirations. Why risk the potential for re-aggravating the injury in a game that is being played only because the NFL says it has to take place?

All it takes is an accidental step on that toe, or something else to go wrong, and the potential of Rodgers playing in the playoffs is in jeopardy. It is just not worth the risk, especially since it feels like everything is aligned for the Green Bay Packers to finally make and win the Super Bowl after an 11-season drought.

The defense is playing well. They are currently 10th in total defense and eighth in points allowed. The defense is only allowing 16.8 points at Lambeau, which is the best in the league.

The offense is humming along. The only weakness is special teams.

If the special teams can be just average, everything seems in place for the Packers to finally overcome five NFC Championship game heartbreaks and make the big game.

Allow Rodgers to keep resting that toe and have it healed up. He is putting up MVP numbers on a bad toe. Imagine what he will do feeling 100% in the playoffs.

The only rational reason to let him take some snaps is so he can get 23 more passing yards to reach 4,000 on the season.

The other reason to rest Rodgers is you get another game to evaluate Jordan Love.

Rodgers reworked contract has him set to be a free agent after the 2022 season, so it is either extend him or trade him.

If the Green Bay Packers do not make or win the Super Bowl, then a decision on Rodgers’ future in the green and gold has to be made. In that situation, there might be a possible divorce between Green Bay and Rodgers.

The Packers’ front office could determine one Super Bowl win is all Rodgers is going to give Green Bay. Rodgers could think the Packers are just never going to do enough to get him a second ring.

That is the big point in Love needing to get all the snaps against the Lions. The Packers need to see if the Kansas City Chiefs game was an aberration. They need another game to determine if he can still be the man to take the torch from Rodgers, much like Rodgers took the torch from Brett Favre.

If the Packers win the Super Bowl, and Rodgers does not want to retire, then it makes complete sense to extend Rodgers.

In that case, this game can be used as a Jordan Love showcase for 31 other teams. Then the hope is that the second start goes better than the first, so he can be traded for a good pick.

The risk of further injuring Rodgers’ toe and the need to assess Jordan Love are the main reasons Aaron Rodgers needs the day off.