Aaron Rodgers was injured on the fourth snap in his first game with the New York Jets, having to be carted off the sideline with an injured left ankle.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — Aaron Rodgers’ debut with the New York Jets lasted just four snaps.
Now the four-time MVP and a shell-shocked fan base will have to see how long he stays sidelined.
Rodgers injured his left ankle Monday night when he was sacked by Buffalo’s Leonard Floyd. He was ruled out for the rest of the game, the Jets announced midway through the second quarter. X-rays were negative, the team added.
When Rodgers was wheeled to the X-ray room, his left leg was on a black pavement, the NFL Network reported.
After Brees Hall’s 26-yard run on the Jets’ opening drive, Rodgers threw his first pass after receiving heavy pressure from Greg Russo. Rodgers threw incomplete on the next play, but Terrelle Bernard was called for defensive holding.
Then, Rodgers tried to avoid a rushing Floyd, who covered the quarterback and drove him to the MetLife Stadium turf. Rodgers looked down at his leg before the coaches met him. After a few minutes he stood up, but needed help to get to New York’s side.
Rodgers, 39, was taken to the blue medical tent to be examined – and then put into a cart. Halfway to the locker room, he unloaded the cart and limped inside.
Zach Wilson replaced him with 3:45 left in the game.
The injury silenced a crowd that had been raucous moments before in anticipation of Rodgers’ Big Apple debut. The Jets hadn’t been to the Super Bowl since Joe Namath won the franchise’s only championship in the 1968 season, and frustrated fans hoped Rodgers’ arrival would be the first step toward a return to the big game.
Rodgers walked onto the field with an American flag in hand on the 22nd anniversary of the September 11 attacks and received his first official standing ovation from Jets fans.
Hip-hop artist and actor Method Man announced Rodgers’ name — accompanied by a laser light show — to the quarterback’s standing ovation.
New York acquired Rodgers, the 15th overall pick in this year’s draft, and a fifth-rounder from Green Bay on April 26. In exchange, the Packers received the 13th overall pick, a second-rounder, a sixth-rounder and a condition. If Rodgers plays 65% of New York’s plays this season, the 2024 second-round pick could become a first-rounder.
Rodgers, who spent his first 18 seasons with Green Bay, raised expectations for the Jets and their fan base when he said he expects to win in New York and pointed out during his introductory news conference that the team’s only Super Bowl trophy “stands alone.” “
If healthy, Rodgers has paved the way to become the Packers’ signal caller, giving the Jets their most talented quarterback since Brett Favre, acquired from Green Bay in 2008.
Rodgers, who has repeatedly said he won’t join the Jets, agreed to a restructured contract in July that will fully guarantee him $75 million this season and next. That’s nearly $35 million in pay cuts from his contract with Green Bay, of which he plans to guarantee $110 million.
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