Wednesday NFL buzz: Aaron Rodgers sits out to rehab calf injury
GREEN BAY - Unless something changes, quarterback Aaron Rodgers will spend the next two days rehabbing his sprained right calf and not practicing with his teammates.
Coach Mike McCarthy said Wednesday that Rodgers would skip an abbreviated practice planned for inside the Don Hutson Center and probably would sit out a full workout Thursday. He said he was planning this week on having Rodgers play against the Chicago Bears Sunday at Soldier Field.
"He'll be with the rehab group, so he won't practice today and I'll probably do the same thing tomorrow," McCarthy said. "We have a plan. Game plan-wise, his comments were just, 'Don't hold anything back.' So we're approaching this game different than we did last week."
- Tom Silverstein, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Peterson makes return to Vikings practice
The Minnesota Vikings designated Adrian Peterson for return from injured reserve, and the running back was back in action at practice Wednesday, the team announced. Peterson participated in a walk-through session in the morning.
Peterson said earlier in the week that he was targeting the Week 16 matchup with the Green Bay Packers for his return to game action. Minnesota faces the Indianapolis Colts this week.
The four-time all-pro tore his meniscus in Week 2 and has remained out since. The 7-6 Vikings rank last in the NFL in rushing yards per game with 76.4.
Colts QB Luck sits out practice
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck sat out practice Wednesday with a sore elbow and shoulder.
“He got whacked around a little bit,” Colts coach Chuck Pagano told the Indianapolis Star.
Stafford still unsure of plan for finger
After Matthew Stafford dislocated the middle finger on his throwing hand in the first quarter of last weekend's win over the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter asked his quarterback how the injury was limiting him on the field.
"I said, 'Just go call the game, don’t worry about me, and I’ll figure it out,'" Stafford said. "Plan on being the same way this week."
Stafford wore tape on the tip of his right middle finger at his news conference today, but he no longer had a splint and said he expects the injury to "continue to get better" as the week goes on.
What that means for Sunday's game against the New York Giants remains unclear.
Stafford won't be 100% -- he's expected to deal with the injury for the rest of the regular season -- and he said he's not yet sure whether he'll wear a glove in a game that could be played in rain and 40-degree temperatures.
"Still working on it, figuring out what’s going to be best come Sunday," Stafford said.
- Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press
Falcons WR Jones sits out practice
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones sat out practice Wednesday with what coach Dan Quinn clarified was a toe sprain, not a turf toe injury as previously listed.
Jones sat out Sunday's 42-14 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
PHOTOS: Power rankings entering Week 15