Aaron Rodgers Has Been Medically Cleared to Return to Football

Watch out, NFC—the Packers aren’t out of this playoff hunt just yet

By Danny Heifetz Dec 12, 2017, 11:04pm EST

They say the night is darkest before the dawn, and just two days after the Packers went to overtime against the Cleveland Browns, their Dark Knight is back in action.

Aaron Rodgers, the blinking Green (Bay) light that Packers fans have stared at longingly in Gatsby-like fashion since he broke his collarbone in Week 6, has been medically cleared to return. Let football fans everywhere rejoice.

It's been a long road from that day to this, but I'm happy to say I've been medically cleared to return. Thanks for all the love, support, prayers, and well wishes over the past 8 weeks ❤️ and a big thank you to Dr McKenzie and our incredible training staff. #riseagain #

A post shared by Aaron Rodgers (@aaronrodgers12) on Dec 12, 2017 at 7:16pm PST

Before he was injured, the Packers were 4-1 and Rodgers was in MVP-caliber form. Since then, Green Bay is 3-5, and its offense has devolved. But with Rodgers back, the 7-6 Packers are a game (and a bunch of complicated tiebreaker scenarios) out of the wild-card hunt with games against the Panthers, Vikings, and Lions left.

The Pack will need some help if they’re going to make the playoffs, and while it’s unclear if he will start this week, if anyone can Houdini their way into a postseason run, it’s Aaron Rodgers. Who doesn’t want this guy back in the playoffs? (Vikings fans. That’s who. Because Rodgers leading Green Bay to a Super Bowl victory in Minneapolis, the site of Super Bowl LII, seems predestined.) Rodgers has been gone so long that it’s easy to forget what he can do. Here’s a friendly reminder of the miracles that Playoff Aaron Rodgers performs on a yearly basis.