Aaron Rodgers' debut season with the Jets was over before it started.
Rodgers went down with an injury four snaps into his first possession with New York on Monday night. The Jets initially tabbed the star quarterback with an ankle injury and X-rays at MetLife Stadium came back negative. But after New York's overtime win over the Buffalo Bills, head coach Robert Saleh acknowledged the team feared Rodgers did serious damage to his Achilles.
Those concerns were confirmed Tuesday morning when MRI results revealed Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles, according to several reports. The four-time NFL MVP will be sidelined for the entire 2023 season.
The Jets acquired Rodgers in late April through a trade with the Green Bay Packers, whom the future Pro Football Hall of Famer quarterbacked for the first 18 seasons of his pro career. Back in August, Rodgers expressed his expectation for "a few-years partnership" with the Jets, but it remains to be seen how he will respond to such a serious injury. The 10-time Pro Bowl selection turns 40 years old in early December.
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With Rodgers unavailable, Zach Wilson is in line to become the Jets' new starting quarterback. New York drafted Wilson No. 2 overall in 2021, but his underwhelming play across two seasons inspired the organization to go all in for Rodgers back in the spring. The Jets currently don't have any other signal-callers on their active roster, but sixth-year pro Tim Boyle is on their practice squad.
New York's first game following the Rodgers development will be Sunday in Dallas.
Featured image via Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports Images