It’s been 373 days since one of the darkest hours in Jets history.
Before the Jets’ season-opener Thursday night against the Patriots, the last time fans saw Aaron Rodgers at MetLife Stadium, he was emerging from the tunnel waving an American flag in commemoration of the Jets’ season-opener on Sept. 11, 2023, against the Bills.
On the fourth offensive play of that game for the Jets, Rodgers tore his left Achilles tendon and was out for the season.
It’s been a long and arduous road for him since then.
As always happens with Rodgers, drama ensued.
Thanks to his weekly Tuesday appearances on the “Pat McAfee Show,” there were few dull moments with Rodgers during his rehab stint as he narrated it all.
All of this has led to his long-awaited return to the home field on Thursday night.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve stepped foot on the Jetlife field,” Rodgers said before the game.
Rodgers said he expected “there would be a lot of emotions for sure, but fortunately we’re in our third game of the season, (having) played two full games.”
In fact, it seemed like there would be a lot fewer people holding their breath over Rodgers’ repaired Achilles tendon, as he had played two road games prior to this one.
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He said his “body feels good, as good as it can feel in a short week,” adding, “It’s going to be fun to be out there with the crowd and night games… I love night games.”
Rodgers’ ordeal began that fateful night of Sept. 11, when he was grabbed by Buffalo’s Leonard Floyd and carried off the field on a stretcher.
He was placed on injured reserve the next day, September 12.
On September 13, Rodgers announced via Instagram that he had undergone a “successful” surgery and vowed to “get back on his feet.” His surgery procedure involved a “rapid bypass” procedure designed to speed up the recovery process.
On Sept. 15, Rodgers, in his first public comments since the injury and subsequent surgery, hinted on “McAfee” that he could return to play before the end of the 2023 season.
On October 15, Rodgers appeared in the Jets’ Week 6 game against the Eagles at MetLife Stadium and not only walked without crutches, but also threw some light passes before the game.
On Oct. 17, Jets head coach Robert Saleh told reporters that he wasn’t ruling out the possibility of Rodgers returning to play in 2023, saying of him: “He’s driven by doubt. The more you doubt him, the more fuel he has. He’s on a mission.”
On Oct. 29, before the Jets played the Giants at MetLife, Rodgers was again seen on the field pregame throwing and this time doing football-like moves like dropping back and rolling, whetting the appetite of Jets fans who were tired of seeing Zach Wilson miss.
On Nov. 15, Rodgers told NBC in a television interview that his goal was to return in mid-December. “I know it sounds crazy, but if you do a good surgery and you have a good patient, that makes it possible,” Rodgers said.
On November 16, there were reports that Rodgers was planning his return for the Jets’ Christmas Eve game against Washington.
On Nov. 29, the Jets officially opened Rodgers’ practice window, giving the team three weeks to activate him to the 53-man roster. The Jets had a 4-7 record at the time. Rodgers said that if he was medically cleared to play and if the Jets were still alive in the playoff race, he would play.
On Dec. 1, just 77 days after surgery, Rodgers returned to practice for the first time.
On Dec. 20, at the end of the three-week practice window, the Jets, 5-9 and out of the playoff race, declared that Rodgers would not play again in 2023, though they activated him to the 53-man roster so he could continue practicing with the team during the final three weeks of the season. That was a symbolic victory of sorts for Rodgers, boosting his morale amid the lengthy rehab.
Ultimately, rushing Rodgers’ return wasn’t worth the risk of re-injury, which would have sabotaged the 2024 season.
“I had a lot of things going against me, the biggest one being my age,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers participated fully in all offseason activities, looked impeccable in training camp and now has two 2024 games under his belt.
That brought him back to Thursday night against the Patriots at MetLife in what he hopes will be memorable for all the right reasons this time.
One more obstacle in a year full of them.
