The thumb injury to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is more severe than known.
Rodgers' injury, suffered during a 27-22 loss to the Giants in London on Oct. 9, is actually an avulsion fracture of the thumb, sources say. It is serious enough that surgery is almost always the answer to fix this type of injury, according to people with knowledge of Rodgers' fracture.
An avulsion fracture can happen when extreme force -- such as a hit from Giants linebacker Oshane Ximines -- causes the ligament to rip away from the attachment, taking some bone with it. Essentially, it is a fracture and a torn ligament, resulting in joint instability.