Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has said that he has a knee sprain. But at least one report directly contradicts that.
A sprain is regarded as any injury to any of the four ligaments in the knee. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Rodgers has no ligament damage of any kind.
A source with knowledge of the situation calls Schefter’s report “pretty accurate,” but characterized the injury as both a knee and leg problem. So let’s assume it’s entirely accurate and that Rodgers has a sprained knee without any actual ligament damage. What, then, is wrong with the knee, and/or the leg?
The options are fairly limited, if ligament damage is off the table. Rodgers could have cartilage damage. However, the specific aspect of Schefter’s report that the injury “could take up to a couple of months to heal” doesn’t mesh with a cartilage tear, because that doesn’t heal on its own and requires some sort of surgery to remove or repair the rubbery cushioning for the knee bones.
Which leaves the knee bones. Although everyone involved continues to be very careful about what is said about the injury, logic and common sense point to some sort of bone problem that will heal in time -- whether it’s a bone bruise or a small fracture or some other damage to one of the bones that make up the knee, and that can and will heal in time.
If playing can’t make the injury any worse, chances are it’s some sort of bone issue. But even if the knee itself isn’t at any specific risk of further injury, Rodgers has an overall greater risk of injury if he can’t move the way he needs to move in order to protect himself. Especially against a fierce pass rush like the one the Vikings possess.
