Jets’ Aaron Rodgers: 2023 injury made me think, ‘Fuck, this is how I’m going to go?’ | News, scores, highlights, stats and rumors

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers thought his career was over after he injured his Achilles tendon against the Buffalo Bills just minutes into last season, and he wondered at practice how he could just end his career.

Rodgers made the comments in an interview with ESPN’s Alex Smith, who asked the 40-year-old about his memories of Sept. 11, 2023, when the four-time MVP first appeared with Gang Green after a wild party during an emotional evening in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

“Honestly, it’s kind of a blur… I knew when I was on the ground that something was wrong. And sometimes you get the fidgeting and you know something’s wrong and you hope you’re going to get up. And it just, like, sometimes shakes itself out…

“But when I got up, I said, ‘ugh.’ I knew it, you know, and I just fell. And everything flashed before your eyes. 18 years in Green Bay, the trade, the spring, the excitement, the summer, the city, Heavy blowsrunning onto the field with the flag for the first time, on September 11th. Yeah, and then I just thought that was going to be the last time. Because, you know, I’m old. And I knew the rehab was going to be tough. And so, in the training room, I really thought, ‘Damn it, am I supposed to leave like this?’

Rodgers is back after a long rehabilitation process. He will play for the Jets in Monday Night Football San Francisco 49ers.

Some elite quarterbacks have ended their careers on high notes. John Elway won two Super Bowls to cap an incredible 15-year pro streak. Joe Montana overcame injuries that cost him two seasons to lead the Kansas City Chiefs to back-to-back playoff appearances in the last two years. And Peyton Manning won a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos.

Other quarterbacks weren’t so lucky. Brett Favre suffered a concussion that ended his 2010 season, which was his last. Johnny Unitas struggled as a member of the San Diego Chargers. Dan Marino’s Miami Dolphins lost 62-7 in a playoff game to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Rodgers was clearly thinking about his football mortality and whether his career was over that September night in New Jersey. But the rehab went well, to the point that last season there was weekly discussion about whether he could return if the team made the playoffs.

That didn’t happen, but Rodgers has a second chance at a fresh start with the Jets, who are looking to end a 13-year run outside the playoffs. If Rodgers can return to his pre-injury form, that could certainly happen, given the incredibly talented defense, revamped offensive line and a pair of offensive superstars in Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall.

We’ll see how it all plays out on Monday night when the Jets visit San Francisco to open a 17-game campaign.