New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers indicated this week that he won’t play again this season as he recovers from an Achilles injury that he suffered earlier this year.
During an appearance on ESPN’s “Pat McAfee Show,” the quarterback said that he would attempt to return to play if there was a playoff game. However, the Jets are currently 5–9 and were eliminated from making the playoffs on Sunday after a loss to the Miami Dolphins, an AFC East rival.
“If I was 100 percent today, I'd be definitely pushing to play,” Mr. Rodgers said. “But the fact is, I’m not.”
The quarterback added that it was “unrealistic to think that I would be 100 percent to be medically cleared at any point during the regular season,” adding that he would be “absolutely” willing to take the risk if the Jets were heading to the postseason.
“I do feel like in the next three to four weeks, it would have been very possible to get to 100 percent, but obviously not there. So the conversation was a way from 100 percent medical clearance to willingness to play, and that’s never been a problem for me,” he continued.
The four-time NFL MVP also described the 2023–24 season as a “lost year,” noting that he only played three snaps before the injury. But he indicated that he wants to play several more seasons.
“I don’t think so,” he said when asked if next year would be his last in the league. “I felt like when I came here that I got kind of a renewed passion and love for the game, and everything has been amazing here. Just the people I have gotten to work with, the relationships I’ve gotten to form with my teammates, the amazing men and women who work here.”
Mr. Rodgers added that “I wanted at least two years, I feel like this year is kind of a lost year. I only played a couple of snaps, wasn’t able to go out there and prove what I’m capable of and see what we’re capable of as a team.”
“I feel like I can play more years and be effective into my 40s, which is crazy because I thought I would be sitting on my couch somewhere at 40, but now I want to be a starter at 40, I want to be a starter at 41,” he continued. “I want to see what I can get out of this body. I believe in the leadership that we have here. I believe in our guys. I think it’s not a situation where we have to rebuild. We need to reload a little bit, and there will be some tough decisions for sure. But I like the pieces we have in place.”
During a media appearance this week, Jets coach Robert Saleh said that Rodgers “wants to play” and “let’s not confuse that one.” The coach added that the Jets wouldn’t consider playing him unless Mr. Rodgers obtained medical clearance to do so.
The Jets on Wednesday placed the star quarterback on their active roster, activating him from the injured reserve list. It would, in theory, allow him to play one of New York’s final three games.
“We’re still going to keep him on the active [roster],” Mr. Saleh said. “We’ve got the roster flexibility with all of the different things that have happened over the course of the last couple of weeks. It’s all a part of his rehab, and just having him out on the football field is a plus for everybody. It’s a plus for him, it’s a plus for his teammates.
Since Mr. Rodgers’s injury, the Jets have turned to quarterbacks Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle, and Trevor Siemian throughout the season.
