EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – An MRI performed Tuesday morning confirmed that New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers sustained a torn Achilles in his debut with the team Monday night and will be out for the season.
NFL Network said the injury is a complete tear of his left Achilles. Rodgers suffered the injury on the fourth play of his first drive in a Jets uniform when he was sacked by the Buffalo Bills’ Leonard Floyd.
The Jets officially placed Rodgers on injured reserve later Tuesday.
“Not the way any of us wanted it to go, but we know the commitment you’ve made to this team will continue to impact us moving forward,” the Jets posted on their official Twitter account, accompanying a photo of Rodgers.
With Rodgers out, the Jets will turn to Zach Wilson as the No. 1 quarterback. The No. 2 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, Wilson was 8-14-0 as a starter with the Jets, who acquired Rodgers in an offseason trade with the Green Bay Packers.
The trade return was dictated by Rodgers hitting playing time metrics of at least 70 percent of New York’s offensive snaps, which means the Packers will not receive the Jets first-round pick in 2024. Instead, Green Bay receives a second-round pick in ‘24.
The hope was Wilson could learn under Rodgers, a four-time league Most Valuable Player, from the sidelines this season.
But with the season over for the 39-year-old Rodgers — and whether he returns next season in doubt — the Jets are Wilson’s team, and their Super Bowl dreams took a huge hit.
The Jets initially deemed Rodgers questionable to return before downgrading him to out for the night during the second quarter. X-rays on Rodgers’ left ankle were negative, but reports began to surface during the game that the Achilles was the focus of the injury.
Floyd beat Jets left tackle Duane Brown and got to Rodgers untouched for a 10-yard sack with 11:15 left in the first quarter.
Rodgers initially stood up before sitting back on the turf, with trainers running out to check on him.
A cart was waiting by the team’s medical tent while Rodgers was being examined. He eventually got on the cart but then stepped off and walked into the locker room.
Rodgers was wearing a boot on his left foot when he went for X-rays and returned to the locker room.
