Aaron Rodgers stung by stinger Saturday

GREEN BAY -- Aaron Rodgers has played with and been sidetracked by myriad injuries in his celebrated 12-year NFL career.

The two-time MVP quarterback experienced a first Saturday.

Rodgers briefly was shaken up by a neck stinger he sustained early in the second half of the Green Bay Packers' 38-25 win over the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field.

The injury occurred when Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter and linebacker Eric Kendricks sandwiched Rodgers on a third-down sack.

"I was concerned because if he doesn't jump right back up that's unusual," head coach Mike McCarthy said after the game.

Rodgers lay on his back for only about a minute before he walked off the field under his own power.

"In all of my years of football - it doesn't say whole lot about my tackling ability as a young player - but I never had a stinger before," Rodgers said. "So, I now know what that feels like, and luckily, those go away pretty quickly."

Sure enough, after being checked out on the sideline by the team's medical staff for not only his neck but also whether he showed any symptoms of a concussion, Rodgers was cleared to keep playing when Green Bay regained possession.

By then, Rodgers was well on his way to producing one of his best performances of the season. He completed 28 of 38 passes for 347 yards and four touchdowns and also ran for a touchdown before being lifted late in the fourth quarter with the Packers well ahead.

It was Rodgers' first 300-yard passing game in eight starts against a defense coordinated by Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer.

Afterward, Rodgers described the feeling of a stinger, which was on his left side.

"It's a burning sensation, kind of in your neck down to your shoulder for me," he said. "So anything that involves the neck is always a little bit of, you've got to be cautious with it. So that's why I didn't get up right away (on the field). Obviously, I wanted to get up right away once Doc came out there, all I was saying, 'I've just got a stinger ... let me walk off the field here quickly.' But, yeah, definitely, it'll be sore the next couple of days, but not something to worry about."