GREEN BAY — Charles Woodson knows a thing or two about breaking your collarbone. He did it twice, including in Super Bowl XLV.

The Oakland Raiders safety also knows a little bit about his friend and ex-teammate Aaron Rodgers' personality, and how much the quarterback would hate being shut down for the remainder of the season because of his own fractured collarbone.

Nevertheless, if the Green Bay Packers are out of contention, Woodson suggested in an interview on NFL Network Wednesday night  that Rodgers not return if the Packers lose Sunday to the Atlanta Falcons and are essentially eliminated from playoff contention.

"With having a guy that you're going to pay over $100 million, [if] you're out of the playoffs, I would shut him down," Woodson said. "I know Aaron and if he's healthy, it depends on what his scans are telling him, (but) I know he's kicking and scratching trying to get back in the game. But having your franchise guy go out there and there is no chance at making the playoffs and you're not really sure what's going on with that shoulder (is a mistake)."

Last year, Woodson broke his collarbone a second time and missed nine games before finally returning for the playoffs.

"(If) you don't have the confidence or the doctors' don't have that confidence in that shoulder that you can go out there and the same thing is not going to happen again, I think you shut him down," Woodson said. "I went through the same thing last year and I wanted to come back Week 12, 13, 14. But the scans never gave us that confidence, so I didn't come back until the playoffs. So if they don't have the confidence in those scans, you shut him down."

Jason Wilde  wrote: