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GREEN BAY, Wis. >> Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said his injured left calf should heal in four to six weeks now that Green Bay is out of the playoffs.
Rodgers said on his ESPN radio show in Milwaukee on Tuesday that he would have been ready to play had Green Bay advanced to the Super Bowl on Feb. 1. There is a one-week layoff between the conference title games and the NFL championship.
Now Rodgers has the whole offseason to heal after the Packers blew a 16-point halftime lead in a 28-22 loss in overtime Sunday at Seattle.
The injury bothered Rodgers since the 20-3 win Dec. 21 at Tampa Bay.
Rodgers, as expected, is skipping the Pro Bowl on Sunday. He was replaced on the roster by Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton.
The quarterback said he needed a “good month” to rest his leg. He would have rather have used Super Bowl preparation as the reason for missing the Pro Bowl.
“It’s tough when you come so close in a game like (the Seattle loss). This one is going to sting for a little while, but you learn to move on,” Rodgers said. He did not speak to reporters on Monday, when players cleaned out their lockers at Lambeau Field.
“We had a great opportunity right in front of us to do something special,” he added.
Rodgers cited the offensive line first as the reason for the team’s success, especially in the second half of the regular season when the Packers went 7-1 to finish 12-4 and take the NFC North.
Right tackle Bryan Bulaga is the only starter on the front five who is eligible for free agency. Receiver Randall Cobb is also in line for a big contract after a 12-touchdown season.
“I like our team. I think we just have to keep it together,” Rodgers said. “If we can do that and figure out our chemistry in the offseason, we can be a real dangerous team.”
