A year ago, Aaron Rodgers was facing an uncertain future as he left the field with a torn Achilles tendon.
On the one-year mark of that injury, the 40-year-old quarterback for the New York Jets is back in good health and has played his first game since returning. His focus on Wednesday was solely on getting ready to play against the Tennessee Titans, not on the past disappointments and doubts.
“I had actually forgotten about it until I got a text this morning about it,” Rodgers said, choosing not to say who sent the message.
He has already talked a lot about getting injured on the fourth play of his debut with the Jets against the Buffalo Bills on September 11, 2023. At that moment, the injury made Rodgers wonder if that might be the end of his career.
But he tackled his recovery and rehab with the same determination that people expect from the four-time NFL MVP.
Now, Rodgers is officially back and focused on winning games.
“Yeah, we move into the next week with the same mindset, being Wednesday and preparing for the next opponent,” Rodgers said. “But, like I mentioned before last week’s game, there was a lot of emotion, perspective, and gratitude. A lot has changed in a year, and I’m happy to still be playing and feeling healthy.”
In the Jets’ season-opening loss 32-19 to San Francisco on Monday night, Rodgers was 13 of 21 for 167 yards with one touchdown and an interception that came from a deflected pass. He felt physically fine after the game but is determined to improve his performance this week against the Titans.
“I feel good about my performance overall,” he said. “I think my footwork was solid, and the signals and adjustments were good. There are things I can definitely improve, but it felt good to be back out there and in the flow of the game.”
