Jets Quarterback Aaron Rodgers Says he Won’t Play This Season

Aaron Rodgers, the New York Jets quarterback who fascinated the sports world for three months with his effort to recover from Achilles surgery quicker than any other player in NFL history, said Tuesday that he will not play again this season.

Rodgers, on the other hand, plans to play in 2024 and beyond.

On “The Pat McAfee Show,” an enthusiastic Rodgers stated a return to action would have been “an absolute no-brainer” for a playoff game. However, the Jets (5-9) were eliminated from postseason contention on Sunday, which solidified Rodgers’ decision.

“If I was 100 percent today, I’d be definitely pushing to play,” that’s what he stated. “But the fact is, I’m not.”

Rodgers, who had surgery on September 13, said it was “unrealistic to think that I would be 100 percent medically cleared at any point during the regular season.” However, the four-time MVP was willing to play and accept the risk if the Jets still had a chance to make the playoffs.

Rodgers’ 21-day practice period ends on Wednesday. If the Jets do not activate him, the 40-year-old quarterback will be placed on injured reserve for the last three weeks of the season.

The only reason the Jets would activate Rodgers would be to enable him to continue practicing, which seems doubtful given that he’d take up a spot on the 53-man roster.

If the Jets had kept their slim playoff chances alive with a win against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Rodgers claimed he would have attempted 11-on-11 practice repetitions this week to put his surgically repaired Achilles to the test. Even so, he would have had to “check all the boxes” before being granted medical approval. His intention was to play in the Jets’ game against the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

“There’s always a risk of rerupture if you go too fast,” he warned on Tuesday. “But this allows me to — I’m not slowing down my rehab.” I’m going to keep attacking it every day, but now that we don’t have a timeline to return, we can certainly be as clever as we need to be.”

The Jets openly refused to put doubt on Rodgers’ comeback attempt, no matter how unlikely it appeared. Rodgers “wants to play,” according to coach Robert Saleh, and “let’s not confuse that one.” Saleh also stated that the Jets would not contemplate playing Rodgers until he gained medical clearance.

Rodgers essentially sat himself down, presumably knowing he wouldn’t be cleared.

Looking ahead, Rodgers reiterated his desire to play beyond 2024, something he firmly hinted throughout training camp. He stated that he intended to play with the Jets for at least two seasons after being acquired in an April trade with the Green Bay Packers. His first season barely lasted four plays when he was injured, sending the Jets into a spiral.

“I feel like this year is kind of a lost year now that I’ve only played a couple snaps and wasn’t able to go out there and prove what I’m capable of and see what we’re capable of as a team,” he told reporters.

“I believe I can play for many more years and be effective into my 40s, which is incredible.” I assumed I’d be sitting on the couch someplace by 40, but now I want to be a starter. At 41, I want to be a starter. “I’m interested in seeing what I can get out of this body.”

Rodgers used his weekly appearance with McAfee to give the organization and its disgruntled fan base a pep talk, painting an optimistic view for 2024. He lavished praise on Saleh, general manager Joe Douglas, and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, all of whom have faced criticism as a result of the team’s troubles. This was their eighth consecutive losing season and 13th consecutive year missing the playoffs.

Rodgers has significant power inside the company, so his recommendations will be taken seriously by owner Woody Johnson.

“I believe in the leadership that we have here,” Rodgers stated. “I have faith in our team. I believe we are not in a rebuilding scenario. We need to reload a little bit, and there will undoubtedly be some difficult decisions to make, but I like the components we have in place.”

Rodgers praised Douglas for his “great drafts and great roster.” He praised Saleh as a “fantastic coach,” saying that injuries played a factor in the team’s poor season. Despite the offense’s historically dismal performance, Rodgers trusts in Hackett.

“I think the offense that he runs is quarterback-friendly,” Rodgers remarked in an interview. “Obviously, it was geared around me and my abilities and what I do well.”