Gary Seymour, sports@wolfrivermedia.com
Among the very few football-related things that the Green Bay Packers had to be thankful for last Thursday was the familiar sight of their quarterback returning once again onto to the cherished tundra of Lambeau Field, the site where he’d forged so many great memories.
No, not Brett Favre. Not Bart Starr, either.
The ceremony honoring the career of Favre and retiring his No. 4 jersey was stirring and emotional as expected, and Starr’s arrival added a sentimental charge to the night air.
The quarterback appearance that drew some unexpected applause, though, occurred early in the fourth quarter of the 17-13 Thanksgiving night loss to Chicago.
That’s when Aaron Rodgers returned to the field, looking to guide the Packers’ offense through the monsoon conditions to a comeback win that would keep their hold on first place in the NFC North.
Prior to that moment, Rodgers had been last seen with a little less than five minutes left in the third quarter, running to the sideline on fourth down, wincing in pain and holding his left wrist up with his right hand.
Throughout the whole of Wisconsin came a unison cry – something in the neighborhood of, “Oh, shucks!” – because the image of Rodgers trotting off the field in pain, and what that represented, was a gut punch.
Ultimately, Rodgers was fine – physically, anyway. He endured another unremarkable night statistically, and threw an interception late in the fourth quarter.
But in light of the heavy injury tolls suffered around the league, and with the postseason now a visible dot on the horizon, Rodgers doing well physically was good enough.
Seattle became a little more toothless last Sunday, losing tight end Jimmy Graham for the season to a knee injury. The Seahawks were already hurting offensively without running back Marshawn Lynch, who underwent hernia surgery and is out for an undetermined length of time.
New England tight end Rob Gronkowski, the favorite target of quarterback Tom Brady, was carted off the field in the Patriots’ loss to Denver. While the extent of his injury is not yet clear, the Patriots’ hopes of repeating their Super Bowl title took a forearm shiver when Gronkowski went down.
The wheels are wobbling for the Packers, but they’re not off yet. With Rodgers at the helm the Packers can get the ship turned around in time for the playoffs. Despite their recent nosedive, they are as good a bet as anyone else to go deep into the postseason.
The Packers can survive ugly losses to Detroit or Chicago, but if their quarterback is lost, so too is this once-promising season. Rodgers’ return in the Bears game was a sign that the road may be a rocky one, but it’s still game on.
Not to forget about Favre, on whose legacy the Packers put a wonderful closure with the retiring of his No. 4 (the margin of defeat in the game, some were quick to note).
The most durable quarterback in history took some final bows in the arena where he became famous for his phenomenal work record. His mark of 297 consecutive starts will never be broken.
The stadium shook when Favre was greeted by the slow-but-spirited Starr, who rose to embrace his fellow Hall of Fame, retired-number QB. Favre also met Rodgers on the field during the pre-game. Their encounter could be described as polite and respectful, and as it lasted about three and a half seconds, provided ample time to recount all of their fond memories together as teammates.
It’s not every NFL franchise that gets a Starr, a Favre and a Rodgers in one lifetime. It’s not every fan that gets the perfect holiday to say, “Thanks, guys.”