The New York Jets have been dealt a massive blow after their star quarterback and new signing Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon on only his fourth play for the new team. The Jets impressed and beat the Buffalo Bills 22-16, but for New York fans the injury of their talismanic quarterback spoiled what could have been a memorable night.
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Rodgers went down after playing only four snaps for the Jets. He got injured when he tried to evade Bills’ defensive end Leonard Floyd who was about to sack him but twisted his knee awkwardly in the process.
After the game, Jets coach Robert Saleh said the injury wasn’t good and further MRI scans on Tuesday revealed he had every right to be scared, as the news was official – Rodgers was out for the season and probably longer with a torn Achilles tendon on his left leg.
That means Zach Wilson will now start games for the Jets and Tim Boyle, who is in the Jets practice squad, might deputize for him. New York will likely sign another quarterback soon.
Former Teammate Blames the Artificial Turf at MetLife Stadium
David Bakhtiari, who played with Rodgers for 10 seasons in Green Bay, instantly knew what was to blame for his former teammate’s injury. The offensive lineman was sure that the injury was “turf-related” and urged the NFL to “put an end to” artificial turf.
Lots of NFL stadiums still have artificial turf but will be getting grass pitches in preparation for the 2026 World Cup. Bakhtiari was furious that the league wasn’t thinking about installing grass earlier and said it was more concerned about the health of soccer than NFL players.
Visiting teams have been complaining about the artificial turf at MetLife Stadium for several years. The San Francisco 49ers, for instance, were fuming when five of their players got injured while playing the Jets in 2020.
