Aaron Rodgers feared Achilles injury

— -- GREEN BAY, Wis. -- When Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down in the first half of Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions, he thought his season was over.

"My initial thought was I popped my Achilles," Rodgers said Tuesday on his ESPN Milwaukee radio show. "That's why I kind of stayed down. It was a very painful sensation."

Much to his relief, it was just another injury to his left calf muscle -- the same one he pulled a week earlier at Tampa Bay.

However, this injury, which occurred on a touchdown pass to Randall Cobb in the second quarter of the 30-20 win over the Lions, was worse because it was in a different spot. Even though he returned after missing two series and finished the game, Rodgers remains unsure whether he will be 100 percent for the Packers' divisional-round playoff game on Jan. 11.

"I don't think it's a good thing," Rodgers said on his show. "The fact that the inside [of the calf] was real weak because that was the initial point of strain in the Tampa game, the outside just kind of gave out on the scramble and the throw to Randall. Fortunate that we have two weeks here because I feel confident that I'll be in a better spot than I was going into the Lions game with an extra week of rest."

With the first-round playoff bye, coach Mike McCarthy gave the Packers three days off before the players reconvene Friday for two days of practice.

Rodgers said he has been getting treatment "around the clock," but he might not practice until next week.

"Mike is going to give me as much time off as I need working up to it," Rodgers said. "But I'm going to want to get some on-the-field reps starting next week when we get into our preparation when we figure out who our opponent is."

It may not have helped Rodgers' calf that Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh stepped on it late in the game. Suh was suspended for the Lions' wild-card playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys because of it but won his appeal and will play Sunday.

"The only thing I can say is if you step on something in your everyday life or if you step on somebody on the field, the first reaction seems to be looking back and maybe apologizing with your hands or maybe pulling your foot back right away, and I'm just not sure that's what happened on Sunday," Rodgers said before the decision came down. 

Rodgers likely will want to have his good luck charm, Jeremy Wilcox, on the Packers' sideline for the playoff game. TV cameras caught Rodgers pulling on Wilcox's long, red beard right before he went back in to Sunday's game against the Lions. Wilcox works at Lambeau Field on game days for a communications company and has been on the Packers' sideline all season.

"I just noticed this huge dude with a sweet ginger beard," Rodgers said. "I think it's good luck when you have a beard like that. I think Jeremy would agree."