NFL Teams Demanding Packers Release Aaron Rodgers

Green Bay violated rule in timing of placing quarterback on injured reserve.

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Quarterback Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers passes against the Carolina Panthers. (Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery/Getty Images)

It’s a Hail Mary, but a number of NFL teams are arguing to the league that the Green Bay Packers should be forced to release star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, sources told ESPN.

That’s because under NFL rules, a player must have suffered a new injury that would sideline him at least six weeks in order to be placed on injured reserve. Failure to abide by that criteria requires that team to release the player once healthy.

Rodgers was activated off IR to play last Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, and then was placed back on injured reserve on Tuesday — after the Packers had been eliminated from playoff contention. Throw a yellow flag, because that’s technically a violation. But the NFL is unlikely to enforce the rule in this case given the stature of the player involved.

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