Green Bay Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers will have surgery “in the near future” on the right collarbone he broke Sunday at Minnesota. Coach Mike McCarthy says Rodgers will stay on the roster until after the procedure, although the coach said his season “potentially could be over.” McCarthy insisted he would not bring in an available veteran, saying the Packers have “three years invested” in new starter Brett Hundley and “two years invested” in Joe Callahan — who was promoted from the practice squad Monday to be Hundley’s backup. McCarthy said he thought linebacker Anthony Barr committed an “illegal act” by pinning Rodgers to the ground after Barr’s hard hit on the two time M-V-P. McCarthy said it was “totally unnecessary” but Vikings’ coach Mike Zimmer defended the hit as being clean and as Zimmer put it, “We’re not a dirty football team … We’re going to play within the rules and sometimes things happen.”
The Packers start preparing early for their Sunday home contest against New Orleans. Coach Mike McCarthy says he had players looking at video of the Saints on Monday — something they don’t normally do until Wednesday. The coach says the Packers have a “bunch of corrections” to make in all phases of the game after their 23-10 loss at Minnesota. Despite numerous injuries, McCarthy said it was important to “shift gears” — and he said the team looks forward to “playing again” after a performance in Minneapolis that the coach vowed not to repeat. As usual, the players are off today (Monday) before they start Wednesday to practice the game plan. The Saints are 3-2 after crushing Detroit 52-38, while the Packers are 4-2 in a tie with the Vikings for the N-F-C North Division lead.
