Mike McCarthy: No restrictions on Aaron Rodgers' training camp workload

ByRob Demovsky ESPN logo

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- At some point, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers may get to a place in his career where his work in training camp is significantly curtailed. The two-time NFL MVP is not there yet.

On the eve of training camp, coach Mike McCarthy said he has no plans to limit his 31-year-old quarterback's workload over the next month even though Rodgers is coming off consecutive injury-marred seasons.

"We're not counting throws all the time, and it's not a concern as it will be when he's later in his career," McCarthy said Wednesday. "I mean, he's still very physically fit and so I don't feel like I need to protect him because of any type of elbow or shoulder issue, thing like that. But we just work through it, communicate and see where he's at every day."

Rodgers said this offseason that he has "zero concern" about the calf injury he suffered in Week 16 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers even though it took him several months this offseason to fully recover. Although he did not miss any games because of it, his practice time was curtailed significantly late last season.

That came a year after Rodgers missed nearly half of the 2013 season because of a broken collarbone.

Rodgers' playing time in the preseason isn't likely to change, either. In each of the last two seasons, Rodgers has not played in the preseason finale.

"I would say he's definitely not going to take more [snaps]," McCarthy said. "It's a conversation. There's a point every year where the throwing might get a little too much and then we back off. You always have to push to that point."

The Packers have four quarterbacks in camp this year: Rodgers, Scott Tolzien, Brett Hundley and Matt Blanchard. Tolzien is expected to replace Matt Flynn as Rodgers' primary backup.

McCarthy said he had no information on whether Pro Bowl receiver Jordy Nelson would be full participant for Thursday's practice. Nelson had offseason hip surgery and missed most of the OTA and minicamp practices.