Aaron Rodgers Was Carted To The Locker Room After A Sack On His First Jets Drive

The final game of Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season was also the most anticipated, as the Buffalo Bills visited the New York Jets on Monday Night Football for the debut of Aaron Rodgers.

It was a raucous atmosphere in MetLife Stadium, with the added emotion of it being September 11, with Rodgers taking the field last in intros to wild applause.

After the Jets forced the Bills to punt on their opening drive, the crowd went wild for Rodgers and the Jets as they took the field, but after a big run from Breece Hall on the first play of the game, the reality of the Jets offensive line concerns returned to focus. Rodgers was under pressure a number of times on his first drive, ultimately getting sacked by Leonard Floyd on a first down drop back. During that sack it appeared he had his left foot get caught in the turf and after getting up and trying to move around, he sat back down and had to be helped off the field by the training staff.

That meant Zach Wilson had to enter the game at quarterback and the Jets offense stalled out while Rodgers was back in the medical tent. Shortly after, as the Bills came out for their second drive of the game, the cart was brought to the Jets sideline and Rodgers was taken back towards the locker room for further evaluation. The official first update from the Jets was it was indeed an ankle injury and Rodgers was questionable to return — Wilson was back under center for the Jets second drive of the game.

His status is obviously vital to the Jets achieving their goals as a team this season, and even if he’s able to return and it’s minor, there is still some level of concern about him picking up an ankle injury this early in the season that they will now have to monitor and manage the rest of the way.

UPDATE: Rodgers reportedly left the X-ray room in a walking boot, which makes it seem unlikely he will play again on Monday night but that he’s walking in a boot could be a mild positive that it isn’t an injury that will threaten his season long-term.