Everything to know about the Aaron Rodgers Achilles injury

The New York Jets opened the 2023 NFL regular season on Monday against the Buffalo Bills and walked away with what should have been an exciting 22-16 win. The Jets came back from a 13-3 deficit to get the game into overtime. The Jets opened OT with the ball but had to punt and Xavier Gipson promptly returned it 65 yards for a walk-off touchdown.

It was a huge divisional win, and yet the Jets would trade it for getting the first four minutes of the game back. On the other four play of the Jets first offensive series, Aaron Rodgers suffered a leg injury and was carted off the field. He was eventually ruled out and underwent further medical evaluation.

What injury did Aaron Rodgers suffer?

Tuesday 11 a.m. update: Tom Pelissero is reporting an MRI confirmed it is a complete tear of his left Achilles tendon. Rodgers will be done for the season.

All reports suggest Rodgers suffered an Achilles injury, with the belief that it is a season-ending tear. He underwent x-rays on Monday night that came back negative, and now will get an MRI on Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury. But initial reports and then Robert Saleh’s post-game comments suggested the assumption is an Achilles tear. If that is the case, he will be done for the season.

How did the injury happen?

On the Jets fourth offensive play, Leonard Floyd got into the backfield and sacked Rodgers. You can see the strain on the Achilles in this particular video. Rodgers tried to get up but sat down and called for the trainers. He was taken to the blue injury tent and then carted to the locker room. It was a freak injury, but the rain and the Jets use of turf instead of grass all likely contributed to the injury.

Who is his backup QB on the Jets roster?

Zach Wilson entered the game as the primary backup with Tim Boyle on the team’s practice squad. Wilson came into the game after Rodgers’ injury and finished 14 of 21 for 140 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also had four carries for six yards.

What QB options are available outside the Jets organization?

The team could add another quarterback in free agency, via trade, or by signing a player off another team’s practice squad.

Free agents

Carson Wentz
Joe Flacco
Cam Newton
Colin Kaepernick
Josh Rosen
Matt Ryan
Tom Brady
Philip Rivers — the 49ers were reportedly interested in him if they had made it to the Super Bowl last year
Chase Daniel
Nick Foles
Kellen Mond
Bryce Perkins
Trevor Siemian
Danny Etling
Colt McCoy
Ian Book
Matt Barkley
Brett Hundley

Trade options

Jameis Winston
Kyler Murray
Ryan Tannehill

Other practice squads

Jeff Driskel, Cardinals
Will Grier, Bengals
PJ Walker, Browns
Ben DiNucci, Broncos

What does Rodgers injury mean for Jets playoff odds?

The Jets opened the season with the second best odds to win the AFC East at +270. Those now sit at +600 and are ahead of only the Patriots at DraftKings Sportsbook. They were +1600 at the end of the preseason to win the Super Bowl and +1800 heading into Monday Night Football. The odds slipped to +2500 after the injury and to +6000 after Saleh confirmed the team was concerned about it being a season-ending Achilles tear.

What does Rodgers injury mean for fantasy football?

If you had Rodgers as your starting QB, Zach Wilson will not be the answer. Some notable options available in more than 50% of leagues include Jared Goff, Brock Purdy, Derek Carr, and Sam Howell.

If you have rostered Jets skill position players outside of Rodgers, things get tricky. Wide receiver Garrett Wilson remains a worthwhile start for the time-being. Receivers Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman, and Randall Cobb along with tight ends Tyler Conklin and C.J. Uzomah will all be mostly waiver fodder at this point. The Jets passing game is severely downgraded at this point. There are quarterback options that could provide some value to the offense, but nothing that will match what was expected of the offense with Rodgers at the helm.