Aaron Rodgers of the Jets at the time he injured his Achilles tendon. Vincent Carchietta (USA TODAY Sports via Portal Con)
All fears have been confirmed. Aaron Rodgers’ first season with the New York Jets is over. An MRI performed this morning confirmed that the star quarterback tore his Achilles tendon in the opening minutes of his home debut against the Buffalo Bills in the popular Monday Night Football game. The injury threatens the career of the 39-year-old player, who was named NFL MVP four times and arrived in New York in April, raising high expectations for a team that hasn’t won a title in more than half a century.
Rodgers injured his heel on the fourth play of the game. The game at MetLife Stadium had started less than four minutes into the game. On a first down with ten yards to go, he was caught by Bills defender Leonard Floyd. The quarterback fell on his left side. The piece wasn’t too spectacular, it seemed routine. Rodger immediately stood up. As he took a step, he limped, looked at the bench and nodded his head slightly. I couldn’t continue. The doctors led him off the field on his own two feet and then put him in a car that took him to the locker room. The player kept his eyes on the ground throughout the ride. These were Rodgers’ tragic first minutes in the Jets’ green and white.
His debut with New York created enormous expectations in the NFL. The American Football League superstar, who spent 18 years in Green Bay, was called upon to open a brilliant new chapter for a franchise that has seen many bitter moments since winning the trophy in 1969 thanks to the legend of Joe Namath. Fans predicted a future in which they would at least compete for the American Conference title. The Jets haven’t played in the playoffs in twelve years. Rodgers, who signed a three-year, $112 million contract, had a streak of nine wins and zero losses in Monday night games, the league’s premier prime-time television show.
At just 24 years old and with three seasons as a pro, Zach Wilson took the field to replace Rodgers. The young pitcher from BYU University in Utah threw an interception in the first minutes of the game. The Jets receivers corrected the course of a night that looked disastrous. The Jets came back and defeated Josh Allen’s Bills in overtime by a score of 16-22. Wilson will have to lead the team on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, who showed a dominant style in their first game of the season.
Despite the home win, Jets coach Robert Saleh told reporters that there was concern within the organization about what happened in the game’s opening minutes. “We’re worried about his Achilles tendon… The MRI will probably confirm what we think happened, but it’s not good,” Saleh said at the conference.
The bad news was confirmed this morning. The MRI has, for now, dashed hopes that Rodgers will win the Super Bowl this year. Something the player invited to dream about in his first press conference after his transfer in April: “This morning when I came in, I noticed that the Super Bowl III trophy looks a little lonely.” Rodgers accompanied the comment with a mischievous grin.
Now Rodgers, who won a championship with Green Bay in February 2011, must focus on a difficult road to recovery. His injury also puts the Jets on another path, namely finding a pitcher who can help Wilson lead the team during the season.
For New York fans, this Monday’s tragic night is reminiscent of another cursed game that took place in September 1999. Quarterback Vinny Testaverde, who had led the Jets to the American Conference Finals in January of that year, where they were defeated by the Denver Broncos, suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in his 1999–2000 season debut against the New England Patriots. The most shocking thing of all is that this accident also happened on a Monday.
You can follow EL PAÍS Deportes on Facebook and Twitteror sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.