Green Bay Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers will need surgery to repair his broken right collarbone, coach Mike McCarthy said on Monday.

McCarthy said the injury to Rodgers' throwing arm could "potentially" end his season but no final decision would be made on a return to the lineup until after the operation.

"Aaron Rodgers suffered a significant injury in the game," McCarthy said during Monday's practice. "He will require surgery. He will be out a significant amount of time, potentially his season could be over.

"He will have surgery in the near future. And after we see how that goes we will focus on getting Aaron healthy. That's all that really matters right now."

The 33-year-old NFL signal caller suffered the injury in the opening quarter of the Packers' 23-10 loss at Minnesota on Sunday.

Rodgers was hurt after taking a hard hit from Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr and falling to the turf on his throwing shoulder. X-rays showed the extent of the damage.

McCarthy described the hit as illegal.

"He's out of the pocket, he's clearly expecting to get hit," McCarthy said. "To pin him to the ground like that, I felt it was an illegal act.

"To sit here and lose any of your players on something like that, it doesn't feel very good. I didn't like the hit. It was unnecessary, totally unnecessary, in my opinion."

Rodgers completed two-of-four throws for 18 yards before the injury.

He missed seven games in 2013 after suffering a broken left collarbone.

Brett Hundley and Joe Callahan will fill in at quarterback for Rodgers.

McCarthy was adamant Monday that the team wasn't interested in bringing in another veteran quarterback, snapping at a reporter who floated the possibility of free agent Colin Kaepernick.

"I've got three years invested in Brett Hundley, two years invested in Joe Callahan," McCarthy said. "The quarterback room is exactly where it needs to be, OK? We're fortunate to have a great quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. We're committed to the path that we're on. We need to play better as a football team."

Hundley, who replaced Rodgers on Sunday, will make his first start Sunday against the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field.

Source:AFP