Aaron Rodgers Injury Update: Packers Quarterback Didn't Practice Again, Focused On Rehab

Aaron Rodgers did not practice again on Thursday, though the Green Bay Packers still remain hopeful about his availability for Sunday when they host the Minnesota Vikings.

The quarterback did not practice on Wednesday either as he continues to recover from what he revealed to be a sprained left knee, suffered in the NFL season opener against the Chicago Bears last week.

Following the game, which he notably returned in during the second half to inspire a 24-23 comeback win, Rodgers confidently claimed he would play against the Vikings. However, he and head coach Mike McCarthy were not so certain earlier this week.

"I want to play obviously," Rodgers said Wednesday. "You're just taking it one day at a time. See how it feels tomorrow and see how it feels Friday, Saturday and then hopefully ready to go Sunday."

Giving an update on the 34-year-old, McCarthy revealed Rodgers would not return to practice again on Thursday but would instead, focus on the rehab portion of his work.

"This is no layup," McCarthy said Thursday morning, according to ESPN. "That's why it's a day-to-day situation. You've got two types of environments to prepare you for games -- you've got the classroom environment, and you have obviously the practice environment."

"So with him in the rehab group, he's full-bore ahead in the classroom and all the different meetings. Today's a very heavy situational day, so that's where his involvement is," he said.

In addition, Rodgers claimed Wednesday that if he was cleared for Sunday, he could feature against the Vikings without any practice reps this week.

The Packers started their 2018 NFL season trailing the Bears 10-0 before Chicago defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris fell on Rodgers' left knee during a sack in the second quarter.

The lead was doubled to 20-0 in Rodgers' absence while he was being attended to in the locker room. The California native, though, was then given the all clear to return to the field by the team physician as he went on to inspire a remarkable comeback that saw the Packers win 24-23, with Rodgers racking up three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. It matched the biggest comeback of his career.

During halftime, Rodgers was assured further damage would not have been inflicted if he returned against the Bears, but he did admit afterward that he felt tightness in his knee as the game progressed.

"You hate that you're dealing with something like this in the first week, but you feel similar to this Week 13, 14, 15, 16, 17," Rodgers added Wednesday. "If you're fortunate to stay healthy the entire season you're going to get banged up at some point. Obviously, I've dealt with foot injuries, calf injuries, hamstring, you know, lower extremities and played with it, so hopefully, I'll be able to be back out there Sunday."

The general feeling within the Packers, though, is that Rodgers will try feature Sunday against the Vikings. "The vibe feels like he's going to try [to play]," one Packers player told ESPN.