Aaron Rodgers May Already Be Done in New York
Four plays might’ve been the extent of the Aaron Rodgers era with the New York Jets.
Aaron Rodgers May Already Be Done in New York
The former Green Bay Packer signal-caller was sacked, injured, and shelved for the rest of the night on Monday, while his team ended up with an overtime win over the Buffalo Bills, thanks to a punt return touchdown by undrafted rookie Xavier Gipson.
Immediately after the Jets triumph, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted a Rodgers update, “Jets believe it’s an Achilles injury for QB Aaron Rodgers, source say. MRI tomorrow.”
And that’s bad news for Rodgers, the Jets, Jets fans, and the NFL because there aren’t really good Achilles injuries in sports — or in general.
Initial reports on Rodgers’ injury seemed optimistic as x-rays returned negative, but those wouldn’t find an Achilles tear. So, for the next several hours, folks will await clarity on Rodgers’ malady, which appears to be trending toward a confirmation of the worst.
Moreover, if it’s an Achilles tear for the future of Hall of Famer, then what? Rodgers turns 40 in December, and bouncing back from an Achilles’ tear is a treacherous task for a 25-year-old, for example. Such an injury to an old quarterback could signal the end, although that is speculative.
Rodgers said in early August about his Jets relationship, “This is going to be a few years partnership.”
But that was before any hint of a torn Achilles.
Here was the sack on Rodgers:
Jets head coach Robert Saleh was asked after the game about Rodgers, and he replied, “It’s not good.”
New York will continue to lean on Zach Wilson indefinitely, who led the Jets to victory over the Bills on Monday night but looked shaky along the way. Wilson matured this summer with Rodgers as a defacto mentor, but it is unclear if Wilson will morph into a franchise quarterback after struggling in 2021 and 2022 — probably not.
The Jets woke up Monday morning with +1,800 odds to win Super Bowl LVIII. As of 11:00 pm CST, the probability changed to +5500, insinuating “Vegas knows.”
The Jets have one other quarterback on the roster, veteran Tim Boyle. Free-agent QBs Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, Colt McCoy, Joe Flacco, Nick Foles, and Chase Daniel, among others, are available.
New York hasn’t appeared in a Super Bowl since 1969.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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