Tragedy ·
Four Snaps Into His Jets Debut, Aaron Rodgers Went Down
A torn left Achilles ended his 2023 season. The Jets turned back to Zach Wilson—and won an opener Rodgers could not finish.
Aaron Rodgers’ first game as the New York Jets’ quarterback lasted four snaps. On the team’s opening possession against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium on September 11, 2023, Leonard Floyd sacked him. Rodgers stood up, then sat back down on the turf. The next day, an MRI confirmed a torn left Achilles, NFL Network reported, and Jets coach Robert Saleh confirmed the injury. Rodgers would miss the remainder of the season.
Rodgers, 39, needed help getting to the sideline. He was evaluated in the blue medical tent, then taken off the sideline on a cart before walking back to the locker room. An X-ray came back negative, but by the end of the night Saleh was concerned about his Achilles. “MRI’s probably going to confirm what we think is already going to happen with his Achilles, so prayers tonight,” the coach told reporters. “But, it’s not good.”
The Jets had acquired Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers in April. A four-time NFL Most Valuable Player, he arrived at a team that had not had a winning season since 2015 or reached the playoffs since 2010. The Jets were also featured on “Hard Knocks,” which gave viewers a look at Rodgers adjusting to his new team. His regular-season debut ended almost as soon as it began.
Rodgers had described a longer commitment. “This is going to be a few-years partnership,” he told reporters in August. After the injury, it was unclear whether those plans would change. Saleh said Rodgers would need season-ending surgery.
The starting job went back to Zach Wilson, the backup who had started for much of the previous two seasons. He took over against Buffalo and completed 14 of 21 passes for 140 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. On Tuesday, Saleh made clear that the assignment extended beyond one night. “Zach’s our quarterback,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of faith in Zach, we’re really excited about his opportunity.”
The Jets still won the opener. After Buffalo forced overtime with a late field goal, rookie Xavier Gipson returned a punt 65 yards for the winning touchdown. Saleh ran into the end zone to celebrate. Rodgers was absent from a finish that gave the team a victory without resolving the loss at its center.
Afterward, Saleh separated the result from what had happened to his quarterback. “I’m gonna enjoy this win. Winning in the NFL is hard regardless of who the quarterback is,” he said. “Personally, I don’t hurt for me, I don’t hurt for our locker room, I hurt for Aaron. I know how much he invested in all of this.”