TJ Lang: 'Aaron Rodgers return has given us spark'

Green Bay Packers offensive lineman TJ Lang has revealed that the return of quarterback Aaron Rodgers has given his side a "spark" ahead of their NFC North showdown on Sunday.

Rodgers has been out of action for the past seven games with a fractured collarbone, but head coach Mike McCarthy revealed that the 30-year-old will start against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

"I honestly didn't think he was going to play," Lang told the Chicago Tribune.

"The last three or four weeks, when he was close, I learned not to get my hopes up. To hear that news on those Fridays that he was not playing, it was tough.

"Everybody just kind of smiled. It's one of those things where you're like, 'Finally, man.' It was almost a sigh of relief. The news gives you a little spark."

The winner of the clash between the Packers and the Bears will earn a place in the post-season.