Aaron Rodgers: Calf 'feels better'

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- There may be angst over how much work Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will get in practice this week to prepare for Sunday's NFC divisional playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys.

But it's not coming from him. He's expected to have his strained left calf examined on Wednesday, shortly before the Packers hold their first practice of the week.

"It feels better," Rodgers said Tuesday on his ESPN Milwaukee radio show. "We'll see what happens this week as far as practice reps. Everybody's so concerned about them. I'm not, and thankfully my teammates aren't, either."

The concern might not be how much work Rodgers gets this week but rather how stable his calf will be by kickoff on Sunday. He first sustained the injury in Week 16 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was limited the following week in practice but still reinjured it in the regular-season finale against the Detroit Lions. He missed two series in that game.

However, he said he's not worried it may give out again.

"That's not a concern," Rodgers said. "If it happens, it happens. At that point, it's out of my control. I've got to get myself in the best position to play and then realize whatever limitations I might have moving. Maybe I won't have any. Maybe we'll get to Sunday, and I'll feel great. Or maybe I'll be very limited. It just depends on how I'm feeling this week, and we'll adjust accordingly."

Rodgers sat out both of the practices conducted last week during the Packers' playoff bye in favor of rehab, which he said also included acupuncture treatment. A decision about practice this week will be made after Wednesday's meeting with team physician Dr. Pat McKenzie.

"I think Aaron was brought up the right way; he likes to practice," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Monday. "He enjoys the competition of practice. Brett [Favre] was the same way. As a coach, your quarterback has a responsibility to practice because to me the head coach and the quarterback control the tempo and the energy of practice. So when you have your star quarterback out there competing at a very high level every single day, competing at everything, it makes the whole practice environment better.

"With that, that's what he's used to. He doesn't miss practice. I know he wants to practice, but we need to be smart. Dr. McKenzie and Aaron and the rest of the staff, we'll talk it through and make an educated decision."