Aaron Rodgers’ debut with the New York Jets was disastrous. About five minutes after taking the field for the first time with his new team, the quarterback suffered a nasty injury and his season was over.
Before him, other athletes in their new colors had no luck. Here are four other players who dropped out of their first game due to a serious injury.
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George Parros
George Parros’ debut with the Montreal Canadiens was more than brief. On October 1, 2013, the strong man with the legendary mustache spent 4:17 minutes on the ice against the Toronto Maple Leafs… and received a 20-minute penalty.
However, his wild battle with Colton Orr ended badly. The attacker was caught in his opponent’s fall and hit his face on the icy surface. He was diagnosed with a concussion and Parros missed a month of action.
Most importantly, this injury has reignited the debate surrounding hockey battles. As head of the player safety department, the right winger is now watching the whole thing with a keen eye.
AFP
Gordon Hayward
There is hardly an injury worse than the one Gordon Hayward suffered in his debut with the Boston Celtics. In October 2017, the team’s new star suffered a broken left ankle.
The horrific images of his leg twisted 90 degrees made many basketball fans cringe. As number 20 went under the basket, she fell onto a single support, which immediately gave way. Hayward remained very calm as his injury horrified everyone watching on the sidelines.
The man, who had attended the previous year’s All-Star Game, was evacuated on a stretcher and ultimately had to miss the campaign. Fortunately, he recovered well from that injury and now plays for the Charlotte Hornets.
Archive photo, AFP
Mats Zuccarello
In 2019, after nine years with the New York Rangers, Mats Zuccarello experienced a change of scenery by moving to the Dallas Stars. Let’s say his debut with the Texas team was mixed. The Norwegian had a good game against the Chicago Blackhawks on February 24th and scored two points.
However, the small forward took a hit from Connor Murphy that injured his arm. Zuccarello feared he had suffered a fracture that would have required surgery, but he recovered within a month, in time for the playoffs.
The Stars were eliminated in the second round, but the veteran had performed very well with 11 points in 13 games during the playoff schedule.
AFP
Julius Randle
For Julius Randle it was the start of his career, which was jeopardized by a broken tibia on October 28, 2014. At the very end of the game, the Los Angeles Lakers were already in big trouble, as they were leading the Houston Rockets by 102 to 75. As he jumped toward the basket, the rookie’s two legs touched and he quickly fell to the ground.
It was the only game of the season for the 19-year-old, who was selected seventh overall in the 2014 draft. The team’s point guard, Kobe Bryant, tried to comfort the young man, who was clearly very disappointed.
Ultimately, it wasn’t the Lakers who succeeded in getting promoted to the NBA, but rather the New York Knicks. Last season he finished 19th in the Silver League with an average of 25.0 points per game.