Jets Confirm Aaron Rodgers Return After 1 Year Since Achilles Injury and It’s Not Against Giants in NFL’s Preseason Game

Aaron Rodgers and the remainder of the New York Jets' starters will not play in the preseason finale against the Giants on Saturday night.

By Blesson Daniel

Published on Aug 22, 2024 | 10:00 PM IST | 55.4K

Aaron Rodgers [Credit-Instagram@aaronrodgers12]

Coach Robert Saleh confirmed Thursday that Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the New York Jets' starters will sit out Saturday night's preseason finale against the Giants.

Rodgers stated Tuesday that he didn't "really have a preference" for whether he played in the game, which will be the Jets' final practice before the regular-season start against San Francisco on September 9.

The quarterback responded to Saleh's statement in late July that Rodgers would most likely not play in any preseason games, with the coach telling reporters at the time that his "instincts" were to be extra careful with the former NFL MVP.

Following last Saturday's game, Saleh did not commit to that strategy, implying that Rodgers would get some practice against the Giants before the season games began.

But this comes as a surprise as it would have marked the first game he would have played after he got an Achilles injury last season against the Bills.

Rodgers’s debut with the New York Jets turned out to be a bigger problem for both him and the Jets. He completely tore his left Achilles causing him to sit for a whole season, now we might see him next against the 79ers.

Rodgers, who made his Jets debut on Monday Night Football against the Bills at MetLife Stadium, hurt his left ankle on his fourth offensive snap after being sacked by Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd.

Rodgers was assisted off the field and then taken to the locker room for additional treatment. Rodgers' backup, Zach Wilson, led the Jets to a 22-16 overtime victory. The next day, Rodgers was diagnosed with an Achilles tendon tear and was then placed on injured reserve.

On November 29, 2023, the New York Jets opened Rodgers' 21-day practice window. Rodgers had limited practice and was cleared for functional activities but not contact. He was reinstated off injured reserve on December 20, but the Jets declared that he will not play again this season after their Week 15 defeat to the Dolphins mathematically eliminated them from postseason contention.

Still, Rodgers is one of the best QBs ever to play the game. In the 2010 season, Rodgers led the Packers to victory in Super Bowl XLV, winning MVP honors. In 2011, he was elected Associated Press Athlete of the Year, and the Associated Press picked him as league MVP in the 2011, 2014, 2020, and 2021 NFL seasons.

Rodgers becomes the fifth player in NFL history to earn MVP in consecutive seasons, behind Peyton Manning, Favre, Joe Montana, and Jim Brown.

Rodgers has led the NFL in touchdown-to-interception ratio six times, lowest passing interception percentage six times, passer rating four times, touchdown passing percentage four times, total touchdowns three times, touchdown passes twice, and yards per attempt and completion percentage once (2020).

Also Read: Aaron Rodgers’ Biographer Reveals if Jets Star Will Get into Politics After NFL Retirement