Could Aaron Rodgers return this season?

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone on Sunday, but could he return to action this season?

Early in Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers took a hit from Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr after throwing a pass on the move and landed awkwardly. Whether you think the hit was dirty or not, Rodgers had to leave the game and seemed to be looking at a multi-week absence due to least an injury to his throwing shoulder.

Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reported at halftime that the Packers feared Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone. That has now been confirmed, with the suggestion Rodgers could miss the rest of the season too.

A broken collarbone is definitely nothing to take lightly or dismiss, and the recovery process can’t be accelerated. But could Rodgers actually play again this season?

Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone back in 2013, to his left side, and he ended up missed seven games. Even accounting for a bye week somewhere in that timeframe four years ago, that suggests Rodgers missed at most eight actual weeks on the calendar from injury to his return.

With it being Week 6, and gears starting to shift toward Week 7, Week 14 or 15 can be looked at as possible return dates for Rodgers based on his previous broken collarbone. But his previous collarbone injury was not to his throwing side and could be a residual factor now, or this injury could just  be more severe just on its own than the one in 2013.

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The idea that Rodgers “could” miss the rest of the season should be considered just that, in terms of being among the possibilities. It also feels aggressive and very pessimistic, since it’s still relatively early in the season. He’s obviously not playing next week, or probably until after Thanksgiving now, but to practically declare Rodgers out for the season right now is premature.