Flashback: 2013 season was wild ride after Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone
It was almost four years ago, in Game 8 on Nov. 4, 2013, that Aaron Rodgers was knocked out of a Monday night game against the Chicago Bears with what, at the time, was only described as a "shoulder injury."
Here's a look back at the archives and what happened for the Green Bay Packers the rest of the 2013 season.
"He has a shoulder injury; we don't have a diagnosis"
Rodgers was sacked by Bears defensive end Shea McClellin 2 1/2 minutes into the game at Lambeau Field. He suffered an injury to his left shoulder and was done for the night. He was replaced by veteran backup Seneca Wallace and the Packers went on to lose, 27-20, as the defense gave up 442 yards.
After the game, coach Mike McCarthy was evasive about the injury: "They want to run more tests. An exact diagnosis has not been given. No timeline."
"I have a fractured collarbone. ... It is a significant injury"
On his weekly radio show the next morning, Rodgers revealed the nature of his injury and broke down the play on which it happened.
"You just have to wait for the bone to heal," Rodgers said. "That’s going to be the frustrating part, but I feel like I’ve been a quick healer in the past and am hopeful this will be on the short end of whatever prognosis comes up."
The Sunday after Rodgers was injured, his backup, Seneca Wallace, hurt his groin on the first series of the Packers' game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Third-stringer Scott Tolzien, the former Badgers QB, replaced him. The next day, the team signed Matt Flynn, who had been Rodgers' backup from 2018-'11 before signing a big contract with the Seahawks. Tolzien would start the next two games - a loss at the Giants and OT tie against the Vikings - before Flynn took over. Flynn started four games - losses to the Lions and Steelers and wins against the Falcons and Cowboys - before Rodgers returned.
"It very well might have been Aaron Rodgers' finest hour"
In his return on Dec. 29, 2013, in the regular-season finale against the Bears, Rodgers delivered what Journal Sentinel beat writer Bob McGinn called "among the greatest plays in the franchise's 93-year history."
Rodgers shook off two first-half interceptions and in the final minute heaved a 48-yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb against an all-out blitz on fourth and long for a 33-28 victory at Soldier Field. The win gave the Packers an 8-7-1 record, the NFC North title and a No. 4 playoff seeding.
"Those two guys making that great, great play will be running on the highlight reel for the rest of my time on this earth," McCarthy said.
The next week, the Packers lost to Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers, 23-20, in the NFC wild-card game.
It was a wild ride in 2013. Now we'll see what the remainer of 2017 brings.