Aaron Rodgers shared on a podcast this week that he had a moment where he thought his football career might be finished after he tore his left Achilles tendon in the New York Jets’ first game of the season.
“I was thinking, ‘This is it. You don’t come back from this injury,'” the 40-year-old quarterback mentioned during a lengthy interview on the “I Can Fly” podcast, which came out on Tuesday.
Rodgers, who joined the Jets last year after spending 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, got injured just four plays into his debut with New York on September 11.
“I had this amazing experience during the offseason in a new city, with new teammates, and a new organization,” Rodgers recalled. “And then, after just four plays, it was one of the most heartbreaking nights of my life.”
He mentioned that he looked into Kobe Bryant’s surgery for a similar injury during his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, which helped ease his worries about his career-ending.
The four-time NFL MVP got emotional as he talked about reaching out to his close friends for support during his recovery from surgery and rehabilitation after he returned home to California on Sept. 12.
“I said, ‘I need help,’” Rodgers remembered. “‘This is going to be tough. I just need you all to be there for me on the tough days when I stop believing it’s possible.’”
Rodgers underwent surgery the following day and went through a long process of rehabilitation, which he said was aided by prayer, diet, and the support of his friends.
He aimed to make a comeback before the regular season ended, as long as the Jets were still in playoff contention. He hoped to achieve the quickest recovery ever from a torn Achilles.
In late November, doctors gave him the green light for some football activities, and he felt good. However, he decided to halt his comeback attempt a month later since the Jets were no longer in the playoff race, and he hadn’t fully recovered from the injury.
Coach Robert Saleh mentioned last month at the NFL meetings in Orlando, Florida, that Rodgers is expected to start practicing when the Jets begin voluntary organized team activities next month.
Despite being considered as a potential running mate for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign, Rodgers is now focused on getting back onto the football field.
“I’m excited about playing again,” Rodgers expressed. “I love playing. I fell back in love with the game, and then I had it taken away after four plays. I miss being out there, I love competing. …
“Football is my happy place. That’s where I feel most in control of my athletic ability. I missed that last year, I missed it. My heart was broken. I’m excited about taking the field one more time and — not life or death — going to battle with my guys.”
Reflecting on the changes in his life since that moment of feeling heartbroken in the Jets’ locker room on Sept. 11 and contemplating the end of his career, Rodgers remarked, “So much changed for the better on a personal level in the last six months. How can I not be grateful to the universe? She is a beautiful teacher.”
