Despite reports of being medically cleared and hopeful optimism that a miraculous comeback was in the offing, Aaron Rodgers will not be making a return to the playing field this year.
On Tuesday, the Jets’ QB announced on the Pat McAfee Show that his leg still needs about 3-4 weeks before he would feel comfortable enough to play.
“If I was 100 percent today,” Rodgers said, “I’d be pushing to play.”
Aaron Rodgers was injured and helped off the field on the first Jets drive vs. the Bills. pic.twitter.com/vtKHRW566V
— ESPN (@espn) September 12, 2023
Rodgers ruptured his Achilles tendon four plays into his first game as a New York Jet on September 11.
Aaron Rodgers, #8 of the New York Jets, is looked at by the medical staff on the field for an apparent injury during a game against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium on September 11, 2023, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
The former Packer based his decision on whether to return on his health and the Jets playoff status. Well, neither Rodgers’ leg nor the Jets are ready for the postseason.
However, Jets fans can take heart in Rodgers’ comments at the end of the show, where he said he did not believe next season would be his last in the NFL. In fact, the future Hall of Famer said the move from Green Bay to New York had given him “a renewed passion for the game.”
“I felt like when I came here that I got a renewed passion and love for the game..
I don’t think that next year will be my last and I feel like I can be effective into my forties”@AaronRodgers12 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/mhfpAnMvsy
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 19, 2023
Rodgers is in his 19th year in the league and his first in New York.