Aaron Rodgers’ first game with the New York Jets lasted only four plays before he suffered a season-ending injury against the Buffalo Bills in week one of the 2023 campaign. Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon in his left leg after taking a sack from Leonard Floyd. The injury was innocuous, to say the least as Rodgers suffered the injury after trying to evade the sack from the Bills defender.
However, it was catastrophic for the four-time MVP winner and the Jets. Rodgers is now in a battle to save his career, and at the age of 39, it will be extremely difficult for the quarterback to recover from the severity of the injury and return close to his best. New York is also in a quandary after using a great deal of capital to acquire Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers.
They gambled on the veteran and for now, the move has backfired, although the trade deal now will not be as costly in terms of draft picks as it would have been if Rodgers had played the entire season. So, if the season ends poorly, New York could be in a position to select one of the best prospects emerging from the college game to replace Rodgers.
Jets Prospects?
Before his injury, the Jets were outside contenders in the NFL betting odds to compete for the Super Bowl in their bid to end their 55-year drought without the crown. Now, without the presence of Rodgers, the New York team is facing yet another season of disappointment. Despite losing Rodgers for the game, the Jets delivered a statement to defeat the Bills, one of the top contenders for the Super Bowl themselves. The whole situation is gut-wrenching for New York fans, who have been starved of success.
After acquiring Rodgers optimism regarding their short-term future went through the roof due to the rising talent of their offense and the excellence of their defense. There is still hope that New York can reach the playoffs if their defense can raise the overall level of their performance to that of the 2015 Denver Broncos’, who won the Super Bowl with a struggling Peyton Manning behind center. Rodgers’ ability to make big-time throws will be missed especially in a conference with Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Josh Allen and others. Unfortunately for them, it will likely be the death knell for their post-season hopes.
Rodgers’ Future
Rodgers is in a battle to save his career now. He has suffered injuries before, but not to this extent. He missed seven games in the 2013 season after fracturing his collarbone. Rodgers returned later in the term but was powerless to prevent his team from losing in the playoffs. He proved that the injury was not long-term with an MVP campaign the following season.
Rodgers suffered another collarbone break in 2017 that resulted in a nine-game absence, and he was far from healthy on his return late in the season before he was placed on injured reserve again. Once again, the quarterback overcame the injury and was healthy for four seasons playing in every game for the Packers bar one before his departure.
Now he has suffered the most serious injury of his career. Other quarterbacks have come back from serious ailments – Tom Brady tore his ACL, Peyton Manning returned from spinal fusion surgery, and Burrow suffered a broken leg in his rookie season. But, given Rodgers’ age and the severity of the problem, he faces an uphill battle to take the field again. Achilles’ tendon injuries have replaced ACLs as arguably the most serious problem an NFL player can sustain. He has vowed to continue his career, but the Jets fans should be prepared for the worst.
