NFL notebook: Packers coach McCarthy noncommittal on Rodgers' status

Immediately after his heroic performance in Green Bay's 24-23 comeback victory over the Chicago Bears Sunday night, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers declared he would play on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. But Packers head coach Mike McCarthy put some doubt into that prediction Monday morning, "We're still collecting all the information on his specific situation," McCarthy said. "I know Aaron wants to play and is driven to play, but that's all I have right now. "I briefly had a chance to talk with Aaron and we're still getting all the information. We have some information but no decision has been made." McCarthy offered no clue as to when a decision would be made. Rodgers was carted off the field in the first half after suffering the knee injury. Rodgers returned with 9:10 left in the third quarter and his team trailing 20-0. He then led a comeback that featured three touchdown passes, including a 75-yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb that put the Packers ahead with 2:13 remaining. --Running back Jeremy Hill played his first game for the New England Patriots on Sunday. It also was his last game of this season. Hill suffered a torn ACL on Sunday and is out for the season, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Monday. Hill, 25, signed with the Patriots this season after spending four years with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Patriots beat the Houston Texans 27-20 in their opener, but Hill left the game with a knee injury after rushing for 25 yards on four carries and catching one pass for 6 yards. --The Baker Mayfield era in Cleveland is not going to begin this week. Cleveland Browns coach Hue Jackson confirmed that Tyrod Taylor will remain his starting quarterback, despite his struggles in Sunday's 21-21 tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Taylor was 15 of 40 for 197 yards, one touchdown, one interception and a passer rating of 42.6. He was also sacked seven times. "He's the quarterback," coach Hue Jackson said Monday regarding Taylor. "His job is to get the offense to play the best they can play. It takes more than just him. It's the offensive unit as a whole that' got to play better." --Browns defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah might miss next week's game against the Saints and possibly more game beyond that because of an ankle injury. Jackson said the third-year defender "may miss some time" with the injury. But, said Jackson, "I don't think it's the ankle sprain that lasts six weeks or whatever that is." --Until Le'Veon Bell returns to the team, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be relying on James Conner to carry the load as their running back. If the season opener is any indication, he will do fine. Conner made his first career start in Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns, and you can look at his season debut in two ways: On the negative side, Conner committed one of the Steelers' six turnovers and Pittsburgh had to settle for a 21-21 tie in a game they were expected to win. On the positive side, Conner ran for 135 yards on 31 carries, scored two rushing touchdowns and caught five passes for 57 yards. Conner's 192 total yards were more yards than Bell had in any game last season when Bell was named All-Pro. --While Adrian Peterson may have stolen the headlines in the Washington Redskins' season-opening win, coach Jay Gruden said that fellow running back Chris Thompson was a big part of the story. Thompson, after all, sustained a broken fibula on Nov. 19 -- with doctors saying that the complete recovery rate would likely be one full year. The 27-year-old Thompson didn't look the worse for wear on Sunday, as he posted a team-high six catches for 63 yards in the Redskins' 24-6 romp of the host Arizona Cardinals. "He's been incredible," Gruden said of Thompson. "(His) work ethic to get back to where he was (Sunday) was incredible. ... He did what 'CT' always does. It's a testament to himself as a player and a person to get himself back in shape." The 5-foot-8, 195-pound Thompson also ran the ball five times for 65 yards and was the perfect complement to Peterson, who had 26 carries for 96 yards against his former team.