Jets QB Aaron Rodgers out for the season with torn Achilles tendon
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers' 2023 season is over before it ever really got started. After the quarterback was injured on his fourth play of the Jets' opening game, head coach Robert Saleh told reporters following the Jets' 22-16 overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills that they feared the four-time NFL MVP tore his Achilles tendon. That is what was ultimately discovered following an MRI on Tuesday, CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones reports.
"It's not good," Saleh said.
The injury will be season-ending. On the Jets' first drive Monday night, Rodgers was injured and helped off the field by trainers. After a visit to the blue medical tent, he was carted to the locker room. After initially being labeled as questionable to return with an ankle injury, he was later downgraded to out. The Jets announced that his X-rays were negative.
Rodgers suffered the injury after being sacked by veteran pass rusher Leonard Floyd on a first-and-10 with 11:40 remaining in the first quarter. While it appeared at first that Rodgers was OK, he went back down to the turf while officials stopped play.
Trainers attended to Rodgers before helping him off the field while former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson replaced Rodgers under center. Coach Saleh told reporters after the game that Wilson will be the guy moving forward.
According to SportsLine's projections, if Rodgers were to miss the remainder of the season, New York's chances of success would naturally take a major hit.
| RODGERS | WILSON | |
|---|---|---|
Wins | 9.6 | 5.8 |
Playoff % | 60% | 5% |
2% | 0.1% |
Rodgers, of course, was arguably the story of the NFL offseason, as the Green Bay Packers legend was dealt to the Jets for a first-round pick, second-round pick, sixth-round pick and a conditional 2024 second-round pick. The conditional second-round pick would have become a first-rounder if Rodgers had played 65% of the snaps in 2023.
The Jets were searching for consistency at the quarterback position, and landed a Super Bowl champion, four-time league MVP, five-time All-Pro, and 10-time Pro Bowler. However, New York's football hopes and dreams now rest on Wilson, who has struggled in two-plus seasons, with 16 touchdowns and 19 interceptions, a 55.6% completion percentage, a 71.2 quarterback rating, and an 8-14 record in 22 starts,
