The Green Bay Packers have placed Aaron Rodgers on injured reserve after the quarterback had surgery on his broken collarbone.
The team made the move Friday. Rodgers and Packers coach Mike McCarthy have said that the surgery went well. The procedure was done Thursday outside of Green Bay.
In a social media post Thursday, Rodgers thanked fans for their “love, support, thoughts and prayers” in a photo of himself in a hospital bed posted on Instagram.
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The two-time NFL MVP is out indefinitely. He broke his right collarbone in the first quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings after he was hit by linebacker Anthony Barr and landed hard on his throwing shoulder.
McCarthy has said Rodgers could miss the rest of the season. Backup Brett Hundley, the Packers’ fifth-round draft pick in 2015, is now the starting quarterback. He will make his first NFL start Sunday against the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field.
Barr said Friday he had no intent to injure Rodgers.
Barr hit Rodgers after he threw the ball on a rollout during the first quarter, but the contact did not draw a penalty. Rodgers was evaluated on the sideline and carted off the field. He was quickly ruled out for the game.
Neither Barr nor Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer believed the play was dirty. McCarthy, along with players Ahmad Brooks and Jahri Evans, told reporters they thought the hit was unnecessary.
Barr said he wouldn’t have done anything differently on the play but understood why people would be upset. He said he received 3,000 Twitter notifications by halftime of Sunday’s game, most of them unkind.
Editor’s Note: This story was last updated at 4:08 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20, 2017, stating Rodgers has been placed on injured reserve.
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