New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers to miss the rest of the 2023 NFL season with an Achilles tear, coach says

By Ben Morse and Homero De la Fuente, CNN

Updated 6:33 PM EDT, Tue September 12, 2023

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers will miss the rest of the season after suffering a complete tear of his left Achilles tendon, according to reports.Adam Hunger/APCNN — 

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, making his debut with the New York Jets, was carted off the field after suffering a left Achilles injury on just his fourth play in the team’s Monday Night Football game against the Buffalo Bills and will miss the rest of the 2023 NFL season.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh told reporters on a media call Tuesday: “He’s out for the year. He needs surgery.”

Saleh said he didn’t have information on the four-time Most Valuable Player’s surgery schedule and recovery process. At 39, Rodgers is the second oldest player in the league, and this was to be his 19th season.

Multiple sources told CNN an MRI on Tuesday showed a complete tear of Rodgers’ left Achilles tendon.

Saleh told reporters, “We know it’s torn. That’s been confirmed.”

The Jets indirectly referenced the bleak outlook of the injury on social media, posting on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Not the way any of us wanted it to go, but we know the commitment you’ve made to this team will continue to impact us moving forward. Get well soon, Aaron Rodgers.”

The injury occurred when Rodgers was sacked by Bills edge rusher Leonard Floyd.

The 39-year-old hobbled up for a few moments before going back down to the ground. He was attended to by Jets medical staff before being helped off the field at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

After being looked at in the blue medical tent on the sidelines, the 39-year-old was taken to the locker room on a cart, and he missed the rest of the game.

Saleh said he spoke to Rodgers on Tuesday.

“As you guys can imagine, he’s … down, you know,” the coach said, adding he didn’t talk with the quarterback about his future. “I’ll let him answer those questions.”

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, making his debut with the New York Jets, is sacked by Buffalo Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd. Rodgers suffered an ankle injury and was carted off the field after the play, which occurred during the team’s first drive in the first quarter. Before being traded in the offseason, Rodgers had spent the first 18 seasons of his NFL career with the Green Bay Packers.Elsa/Getty Images

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Rodgers’ back-up, Zach Wilson, came in to fill the quarterback void and led the team to a 22-16 overtime victory over the Bills after undrafted rookie wide receiver Xavier Gipson returned a punt 65 yards for a walk-off touchdown.

Rodgers’ most meaningful action of the evening turned out to be running out onto the field before the game holding the US flag in a tribute to the September 11 terrorist attacks, with the game being held 22 years after the incidents which saw 2,977 people killed in New York City, Washington, DC and outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The reaction to Rodgers’ injury on social media was filled with emotion, with many Jets fans mourning the loss of the player they thought might be a final piece in a Super Bowl-winning team. ESPN host and Jets fan Mike Greenberg said on Tuesday that the emotional rollercoaster of the last six months makes this such a painful moment.