Aaron Rodgers: Packers fans deal with the loss of a family member

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – OCTOBER 15: Anthony Barr /

Aaron Rodgers went down Sunday and with it the hopes for another visit to a Super Bowl. But more importantly, Packers fans lost a good friend.

There have been a whole heck of a lot more ups than downs when it comes to Aaron Rodgers’ career with the Green Bay Packers.

But when he was hammered down and rolled yesterday by Vikings’ linebacker Anthony Barr, the air was sucked right out of the state of Wisconsin.

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Packers fans covered their eyes to hide the tears they felt emerging with the scene that unfolded at US Bank Stadium.

We’ve come to know Aaron as the face not only of the Green Bay Packers, but of the NFL. Along with the likes of Tom Brady and JJ Watt, Rodgers has been so well-loved (and hated, for that matter) among fans of the league.

But if there’s one thing about the fans’ reactions to Rodgers, the one thing we all would agree on is that he demands respect.

He’s earned that respect, and for Packers fans, he’s earned the love they have shown him over the past decade-plus.

Watching him get hurt yesterday, hurt every fan, whether you’re a Green Bay Packers fan or one following the Minnesota Vikings, the Jacksonville Jaguars, or Pittsburgh Steelers. It hurt the entire league.

It was like watching a family member get injured. It was a saddening day for fandom and for the entire league.

We’ve seen him suffer injuries before – remember the other shoulder’s collarbone when it was fractured in 2013 and the losses we endured while he was gone?

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – OCTOBER 15: Brett Hundley /

Remember when his calf was strained and he was falling to the ground in pain while throwing a touchdown pass in a win-or-go-home game against the Lions in 2014?

We’ve seen him take hits and get up to come right back to make game-winning plays.

Rodgers has won a Super Bowl for Packers fans; he’s won division titles on fourth down, do-or-die plays; he’s won two MVP awards and was on his way to a third this year.

He’s done so much, has been so smart about how he’s approaches the game and led his team as a man and player.

Now he’s gone … probably for the remainder of this year.

Though as of early Monday morning that fact hadn’t been confirmed, it’s probably just a formality at this point.

If he were to come back, it wouldn’t be until the end of the season.

We can dream about next season, but there’s still plenty of football left to be played in 2017 and Rodgers, I’m sure, will be the chief engineer on the “Back Brett Hundley” train that is about to embark from the station.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – OCTOBER 15: Brett Hundley /

Yes, Aaron Rodgers will be greatly missed. We love him as a man and a player.

But for now we have to remember all he’s done and hope for the best for 2018.

In the meantime, we’ve got a new family member we have to get behind – Brett Hundley. He’s the guy now, just as Rodgers was the guy stepping into Brett Favre‘s shoes in 2008.

Remember, Rodgers only won six games that first year as a starter. If Hundley can get the Packers six or seven more wins this season, this team still has a shot at the playoffs … and from there anything can happen.

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Yes, the glass is half full. Let’s enjoy a new perspective and a new player in Hundley.

But let’s not forget the love we have for Rodgers and provide him with the support he needs during his rehab.

Stay tuned …

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