Aaron Rodgers, the seasoned quarterback, suffered an injury during his debut game with the New York Jets.
The 39-year-old quarterback, recently acquired by the Jets, made his first appearance on the field on Monday night in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where the Jets faced off against the Buffalo Bills. Unfortunately, Rodgers seemed to sustain an injury about four minutes into the game when he was sacked by Leonard Floyd of the Buffalo Bills.
After the injury, Rodgers was assisted off the field by two members of the Jets’ medical staff. The team announced on social media that Rodgers had sustained an ankle injury and would not be able to continue playing. Fortunately, X-rays revealed no significant damage. To fill in for Rodgers, Zach Wilson took over as the quarterback.
The official Instagram accounts of the Jets and the NFL shared a video of Rodgers arriving at MetLife Stadium before the team’s first game of the 2023 season, captioning the post with a warm welcome.
Before joining the Jets, Rodgers had a remarkable 14-season career with the Green Bay Packers. His desire to play for the New York Jets became a reality when he was traded to the East Rutherford-based team in late April, a move confirmed by Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst at the time.
In late July, Rodgers signed a lucrative two-year contract worth $75 million, guaranteed until the end of the 2024 season. While there were reports suggesting that this deal was $35 million less than what he would have earned if he had completed his four-year contract with the Packers, Rodgers explained his rationale for signing the restructured contract.
Rodgers told ESPN, “The team made significant moves to ensure it’s not just a one-year deal. I’m aware of that. Although anything can happen in terms of my health or the team’s success this year, I’m thoroughly enjoying myself, and I don’t see this as a one-and-done scenario.” Despite the reduction in pay, the quarterback sees this move as a forward-looking opportunity.
“We’ve all moved forward. It’s a new beginning,” he stated. “I believe it will be an exciting change for Green Bay as well. Personally, I’ve had a great time here.”
According to NFL Network, Rodgers’ contract is a five-year agreement running through 2027, with two additional option years to mitigate the impact of the $35 million roster bonus he received a week later. Additionally, he received a $1.8 million salary at the time and is expected to earn $38.2 million next year, as reported by ESPN.
