One last ride for a longtime nemesis meant one shot at getting the last laugh, but the Chicago Bears are still awaiting an official decision when it comes to Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
If this is, indeed, Rodgers' last season in the league, it could be his last opportunity to take on a team he's tormented for years. Likewise, this could be the Bears' last chance at sending Rodgers home with a loss (and it hasn't happened often over the years).
With Rodgers exiting this past week's game against the Cincinnati Bengals, though, it appears as though his status was originally in severe jeopardy as he broke a bone in his left wrist. Yet, in an instant, that all changed with Ian Rapoport's latest update.
"Aaron Rodgers, to my understanding, has told people close to him that he will be back very soon. He has told more people close to him that he does not want to miss a game," Rapsheet said on the air.
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Well, that's quite different from what we heard after the game on Sunday afternoon. But, it isn't a surprise. Rodgers is historically a pretty tough guy. You've got to give credit where it's due. But, is he really planning to play?
"He is pushing to play in this game," Rapoport went on. "I know it seems crazy because he broke a bone in his wrist. But, it is a left wrist. If he's able to grip, if he's able to receive the ball on the snap, it is actually possible that Rodgers could play this week."
Well, there it is. No surprise, I guess. Rodgers is pushing to play in what could be his final matchup with his longest-standing rival, and it'll be a road tilt for him.
How sweet would it be for Rodgers to suit up and the Bears to take him down, at Soldier Field, but do it in dominant fashion? For all of the heartbreaking moments Rodgers has handed Bears fans, this is something the fan base deserves, quite frankly.
For the Bears to get the very last laugh on Rodgers would be nothing short of poetic. It feels like destiny, at this point, for a Ben Johnson-led team that's truly turned a corner and is feeling pretty good about themselves right about now.
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Rodgers is going to push to play? So be it. Bring it on.