On Monday, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers made his long-awaited debut in the Big Apple with the Buffalo Bills.
Less than four minutes into the game, the 39-year-old four-time MVP was tackled. The tackle of Leonard Floyd did not appear to be anything unusual. Rodgers got up on his own, but after taking a few steps, Rodgers sat down on the field and waited for the trainers.
Although Rodgers was able to walk off the field, he did not return to Monday’s game.
The Jets then relied on their top selection from the 2021 NFL Draft, Zach Wilson, who was benched late in the 2022 season after struggling during his first two seasons in the NFL.
With Wilson at quarterback, and the Jets defense playing at a high level, New York held off one of the early favorites to win the AFC with a 22–16 victory.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh believes Rodgers has suffered an Achilles injury. He will be further evaluated in the coming days.
“Personally, I don’t feel hurt for myself, I don’t feel hurt for our locker room, I feel hurt for Aaron and how much he’s invested in all of this,” Saleh said. “I’m still going to pray, I’m still going to maintain hope, but my heart is with Aaron right now and nowhere else.”
Saleh said Wilson would be the quarterback if Rodgers suffered a long-term injury.
Saleh said of Wilson’s performance, “I thought he was amazing.” “He had some big third-down throws, clutch throws to extend drives and score points. I thought he had command of the huddle, the line of scrimmage, I thought he was gritty, he scrambled for a big shot. of.”
“We still have a lot of confidence in him,” Saleh said.
And if Wilson were to return to a starting role, he said he would be “very much ready.”
“The hardest part now is putting it into the game,” he said. “Unfortunately you got injured, but it was a big deal to get a win against a big team on Monday Night Football.”
Rodgers has suffered long-term injuries in the past. In 2013, he fractured his left clavicle, causing him to miss seven competitions in the middle of the season. Rodgers returned in time for the final regular season game and helped the Packers win the NFC North by a half game and advance to the playoffs.
In 2017, he broke his right clavicle in Week 6. He would not return until Week 15, but with the Packers eliminated from playoff contention, he was placed on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.