Aaron Rodgers Basically Confirms He Won’t Play Vs. Patriots In Season Finale

Nothing’s official, but Aaron Rodgers on Tuesday essentially confirmed his season is over.

That means the superstar quarterback won’t play against the Patriots when the New York Jets visit New England in the Week 18 season finale.

Rodgers, who tore his Achilles in the season opener, returned to practice Nov. 29. The Jets have until Wednesday to add him to the 53-man roster, or else Rodgers will be required to sit out the remainder of the campaign.

There were some indications that Rodgers could push to play this weekend despite New York being eliminated from playoff contention. But during a Tuesday appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show“, Rodgers indicated he won’t try to play against the Washington Commanders and likely won’t be fully medically cleared to play for another “three to four weeks.”

“If I was 100% today, I’d definitely be pushing to play,” he said. “But the fact is, I’m not. I’ve been working hard to get closer. … I’m still 14 weeks tomorrow from my surgery. And being medically cleared as 100% healed is not realistic at 14 weeks.”

This could be sneaky-relevant to the Patriots and their hopes for landing a top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

If New England loses the rest of its games, it’s guaranteed a top-three pick in the draft. But one or more victories could result in the Patriots picking anywhere from No. 4 to somewhere in the teens, which might take them out of the running for a top quarterback prospect.

Obviously, the Week 18 matchup with the Jets is far more winnable for the Patriots if someone other than Rodgers is under center for New York.

Still, Rodgers said next season won’t be his “last year” with the Jets. So, Patriots fans still might have plenty of future matchups with Rodgers to circle on their calendars.