New York Jets send Aaron Rodgers a message after confirming torn Achilles
The New York Jets acknowledged the season-ending injury to veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Tuesday with a heartfelt message directed at the QB who played just four snaps on Monday night.
“Not the way any of us wanted it to go, but we know the commitment you’ve made to this team will continue to impact us moving forward,” the Jets account shared. “Get well soon.”
Going down on a sack by Leonard Floyd, Rodgers tore his Achilles. It’s an injury that not only throws his season out the window but also it’s a potential career-ender. The 39-year-old quarterback is in for a long recovery process.
Not the way any of us wanted it to go, but we know the commitment you’ve made to this team will continue to impact us moving forward.
— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 12, 2023
Get well soon, @AaronRodgers12. pic.twitter.com/cKcYzjh4BZ
The former Packers quarterback with over 5,000 career completions couldn’t get even one in the Jets’ win over the Bills. He had one attempt before the sack took him out. Rodgers needed 2,305 passing yards this season to surpass former Dolphins legend Dan Marino in career passing yardage. He’s currently No. 9 all-time.
Jets weigh options following loss of Rodgers
With Rodgers sidelined, New York turned to Zach Wilson, the 2021 second overall pick. Wilson has started 22 games over the past two seasons, throwing for 4,022 yards, 15 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.
The Jets benched Wilson this past season after poor play, prompting them to acquire the four-time NFL MVP Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers.
On Monday night, Rodgers’ backup was enough to get the job done. Wilson finished 14-for-21 with one touchdown, one interception and 140 passing yards. The Jets managed to snag the win in overtime on a kickoff return touchdown from rookie undrafted free agent Xavier Gipson.
It’s unclear what the Jets’ plan will be moving forward. There are several roads they could take, with one being the Wilson route. They could stick by the former first-round backup QB or pursue another veteran. According to NFL insider Dianna Russini, the Jets began reaching out to veteran free agents on Tuesday afternoon.
Packers also lose with QB’s injury
Due to the terms of the Packers’ trade with the Jets, Green Bay will miss out on a potential first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Green Bay received a total of four picks when they traded Rodgers, one of which is a conditional second-rounder in 2024. That pick would have become a first-round selection if the quarterback were to play 65% of the snaps this season. However, given his injury Monday night, that’s now in serious doubt.
The Packers still received three picks from the 2023 draft — a first-rounder, a second-rounder and a fifth-rounder.
On3’s Chandler Vessels contributed to this report.