Even though the Green Bay Packers didn't have a game on Tuesday, they still managed to pick up a huge victory.That's because star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has been out since breaking his collarbone against the Minnesota Vikings earlier this year, has been cleared to return to action.At 7-6 on the season, the Packers are still alive in the NFC playoff race, but they'll likely need to win their three remaining games to have a shot at the postseason.Still, excitement is building in Green Bay after Rodgers took to Instagram to announce he had been medically cleared to return to action on Tuesday night:That's obviously a big boost for a Packers team that was 4-1 before Rodgers went down against the Vikings and it will inject new life into Green Bay on both sides of the ball.It almost wasn't meant to be, though, as the Packers needed overtime to beat the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. However, after that narrow victory, linebacker Clay Matthews said he'd be excited to have Rodgers back (via ESPN.com):"Well if he comes back, like I've been saying, arguably the best quarterback in the league, back to your team, everyone is going to get better," Matthews said after Sunday's overtime win at Cleveland. "Not only him being out there, but also the shot in the arm as we talk about him coming back. Watching him in practice and what he's been able to do these past couple weeks, getting more and more reps in practice and throwing on the pads, I think it's a good sign. I'm not going to speak on his behalf, but we sure hope he's ready and if he is, we're going to expect the Aaron of old."Whether or not Rodgers is able to immediately resume his unbelievable level of play remains to be seen, but the Packers will need his magic if they're going to beat the Carolina Panthers this Sunday.Understandably, Rodgers' teammates were thrilled with the news he was cleared to play, flocking to Twitter to express their excitement at Tuesday's announcement:

With those players, and everyone else on the roster, excited for Rodgers' return, the Panthers could be in for a battle on Sunday afternoon. Of course, the Panthers have playoff hopes of their own, so they aren't just going to lie down and let Green Bay's good feelings walk all over them. Still, it should be a thrilling NFC playoff race matchup this weekend, especially now that Rodgers is back in action.