Aaron Rodgers, the Jets’ star quarterback, injured his ankle during his first regular-season series with the team and will not return for Monday night’s game against the Buffalo Bills, the team announced, dampening the offseason following Rodgers’ arrival built up excitement.
On the Jets’ third official offensive play, left tackle Duane Brown missed a block on Bills linebacker Leonard Floyd. Rodgers tried to escape, but Floyd threw Rodgers and rolled his lower body as they both fell to the ground. Rodgers stood up, but soon sat down and rocked on his back, appearing to grimace slightly in pain.
With the help of Jets staff, Rodgers walked to a medical blue tent but was then transported to the team’s locker room on the back of a cart. In the second quarter, the Jets said he would not return and that X-rays were negative.
Zach Wilson, the 2021 first-round pick whose uneven play last year led to him being benched, came in relief for Rodgers. The possession ended with a punt and the Bills kicked a field goal on the ensuing drive. The Jets tied the score in the second quarter after an interception and an 83-yard run by Breece Hall put them within field goal range.
The team traded for Rodgers in April, days before the NFL Draft, to help get the club into the playoffs. Rodgers played for the Packers for 18 seasons, winning one Super Bowl and four Most Valuable Player Awards, but sought a trade after his relationship with the franchise soured over his last three seasons in Green Bay.
After a promising 5-2 start in 2022, powered by a strong defense and an effective rushing attack, the Jets finished with a 7-10 record and missed the playoffs. Rodgers was expected to carry the Jets to the postseason for the first time in 12 years, the longest drought in the NFL, and would be the franchise’s most reliable starting quarterback since Hall of Fame candidate Joe Namath in the 1960s and 1970s would be.
This is a developing story and will be updated.