Aaron Rodgers has played in the NFL for 17 years, but this upcoming season was going to be different from the past. He was going to a new team (the New York Jets) after playing for the Packers his entire career. Aaron Rodgers joined the New York Jets just before the NFL draft in April. Rodgers has never dealt with anything this serious before and was the biggest story going into the season. Hard Knocks, a TV series that covers NFL teams every year, had its new target: the Jets. The hype was crazy for this team with many calling them Super Bowl contenders with their great defense and new quarterback.
The Jets have always been a team that couldn’t seem to get it right. They had an amazing team last year all around except for one position: the quarterback. Previous quarterback, Zach Wilson, just wasn’t ready for the big leagues and struggled in almost every game they played. Bringing them to 7-10 and finishing last in their division. With new players Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson coming off their rookie of the year seasons, there was reason to believe that all that was needed was a new quarterback.
Without many available quarterbacks to draft, there was a reason that the Jets were going to trade for one. Many veteran quarterbacks who have been in the league for many years had their contracts expire and needed new teams. One of these players was previous Super Bowl Champion Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has played for the same team, the Green Bay Packers, for his entire career. The build up over the off season wondering which team he would try and sign with was overwhelming. But on April 24th 2023, he was traded to the Jets.
Now there was hope. For Jets fans all over the world they had all of the positions filled with young and talented guys that could bring them to the Super Bowl, something they haven’t done since 1969 and all of it was on Aaron Rodgers’ back. Many wondered if he was too old to still play or if he was too fragile due to the amount of injuries he’s had his entire career. However, during training camp and the few times he played during the preseason, he proved them all wrong.
It was week 1. Monday night. Jets vs Bills. The first game we would all watch Aaron Rodgers play for the Jets. With everyone watching, everything that Jets fans and football fans around the world had waited for, was finally going to happen. Aaron Rodgers took over as team leader, bringing out the flag during pregame as they ran out into the field and brought sparks throughout all of MetLife. But it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows after that.
Less than two minutes into the game, without even being given the possibility to throw the ball, he got sacked. With a surprising severe injury, he tore his Achilles and his season was over. Just like that. Although the Jets won the game, nobody cared. They knew their season was over and that all of the dreams to go to the Super Bowl were torn, as well.
“I gave him a hug, told him I love him, and, you know, it really hurt my heart. He told me, just sorry, kid. You know, just like that, he said, sorry, kid,” Garrett Wilson said to ESPN about his interaction with Aaron Rodgers in the locker room after the game.
