Tommy John, the godfather of pitching surgery, worked as a TV analyst on Twins broadcasts in the 1990s, which means that Minnesota has hosted an eponymous sports figure.

We can have another one. The new NFL "body weight" directive should be renamed "Anthony Barr Rule". When Barr took quarterback Packers Aaron Rodgers on the ground last fall to land on Rodgers' shoulder, fans and should make sense to anyone who wants the league to remain visible.

Rodgers missed most of the 2017 season after Barr took him to the US turf. The Packers finished 7-9. If possible, the Packers 2018 are even more dependent on the most important player in football, because their backup is the future driver Lyft DeShone Kizer.

The Packers would rather not be embarrassed in a home game against the defending champions, so the feeling around the Vikings this week is that Rodgers will try to play Sunday at Lambeau.

Here is the test that Packers must perform when making a decision: If you are wondering if Rodgers is in good health to play the second week, he will not be in good health for the second week. .

Last Sunday, Rodgers was removed from the field after the Chicago Bears injured their left knee. He came back in the second half and staged what could have been the best performance of an already legendary career. With his knee restricting his movement and throwing movements, he led the Packers from a 20-0 deficit in the third quarter to a 24-23 win at Lambeau.

As excellent as Brett Favre was, Rodgers is better in almost every aspect of the game. Favre had a clear advantage: his series of 321 consecutive games, including the playoffs, made him the Cal Ripken of his sport, a Cal Ripken who took shots of 300 pounds each week.

Rodgers was more humane, suffering occasional injuries. His Sunday performance showed another mark of tenacity, because in the NFL, trolleys are almost always final curtains.

He probably should not have returned to the field on Sunday. The decision to sit this week should be easier, as Packers have more time for rational analysis.

The advantage of playing Rodgers on Sunday is that it can give the Packers a chance to win. The risk is that he is relatively still facing a scary front that now includes an inner baffle in Sheldon Richardson, the hammer of Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter.

If Rodgers plays, the Vikings could end the competitive part of the Rodgers and Packers season.

He is 34 years old and may still have 5 to 10 years of quality play in front of him, but only if his knees remain relatively healthy.

Part of the Viking fandom could encourage another Rodgers injury, both disgusting and misguided. Minnesotans should enjoy looking great while they can. Specifically, they should love watching what could be the best defense in football by accepting the challenge of facing one of the biggest quarters of all time.

Playing Rodgers could even be good for the Vikings. Remember 1998? The Vikings have won many defeats against terrible quarters. When they faced Chris Chandler at the NFC championship game, they seemed a little surprised at their vulnerabilities to a person who could proficiently launch a crime and manage the noise of the crowd.

The Packers-Vikings rivalry would not be the same without a healthy Rodgers. Neither the NFL.

I hope that the Packers will rest Rodgers on Sunday and that he will come back, in good health, later this month to make the league and NFC North interesting. I hope that it will be the focus of debates on November 25 at US Bank Bank.

Football is better with Aaron Rodgers. Without him, there will be a team of less NFL to watch.

Jim Souhan's podcasts are available on TalkNorth.com.

On Twitter: @SouhanStrib. [email protected]