Aaron Rodgers is out for the rest of the season after he tore his Achilles during his fourth play with the New York Jets.
Rodgers, 39, was removed from the field after suffering an ankle injury on Monday, September 11, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, while his team played against the Buffalo Bills. The injury required an MRI, which confirmed that the athlete wouldn’t be able to return to the game this season.
“An MRI confirmed today that Aaron Rodgers officially tore his Achilles on the fourth play of his Jets’ career. Rodgers’ season now, officially, is over. There already are questions about whether his Hall-of-Fame career is, too,” ESPN reporter Adam Schefter tweeted on Tuesday, September 12, about Rodgers’ future with the team.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh addressed the health issue as Rodgers received medical care. “[We’re] concerned with his Achilles. MRI’s probably going to confirm what we think is already going to happen with his Achilles, so prayers tonight. But, it’s not good,” he told reporters during a postgame news conference, according to CNN.
Before being traded to the Jets, Rodgers spent the first 18 seasons of his NFL career with the Green Bay Packers. The professional quarterback, who set numerous records while playing for the Packers, announced his departure earlier this year.
“I’m not sure it’s possible to fully express the gratitude that I have to the @packers, our incredible fans, the state of Wisconsin, the thousands of players that I crossed paths with, the incredible men and women who work for the organization, and the amazing people who I got to meet along the way, in one post with 10 pictures, but I hope you read this and feel my heart and soul, filled with love, joy, and peace about my time in green and gold. 💚💛,” he wrote via Instagram in April. “I grew up in Green Bay, drafted at 21, fell in love with the game, met some lifelong friends, and take with me memories that will last a lifetime.”
Rodgers added: “To the fans, THANK YOU, you made every run out of the tunnel special, every home game magical, and it was my honor to be your QB. To my teammates, I love you all, and am thankful for the moments on and off the field that brought us close. I played with legends, I played with friends; thanks for believing in me and having my back always ❤️ This is not the end for us, I will see you again Green Bay, you’ll always have my heart ❤️.”
Three months later, it was reported that Rodgers took a major pay cut to play with the Jets. NFL Network and ESPN claimed Rodgers signed a restructured two-year contract with his new team which guaranteed him a $75 million paycheck for 2023 and 2024. The amount, however, is $35 million less than what Rodgers would have earned if he finished his 4-year-deal with the Packers, which had $110 million remaining in the contract.
“The team gave up significant pieces for it to be just a one-year deal. I’m aware of that. Anything could happen with my body or the success we have this year, but I’m having a blast, so I really don’t see this as a one-year-and-done thing,” Rodgers told ESPN at the time. “We’ve all turned the page. It’s a new chapter. I think it’s going to be exciting for Green Bay, moving on. It’s definitely been really fun for me out here.”
