Aaron Rodgers’ Inexperienced Teammate Is ‘The Guy’ To Replace Him After Injury

Who’s replacing Aaron Rodgers?

The New York Jets’ backup quarterback Zach Wilson will replace Aaron Rodgers for the season going forward. NFL network’s Mike Garafolo tweeted that Jets coach Robert Saleh told him: “Yeah, he’ll be the guy.”

It suggests the team will opt against adding an external replacement, despite there being some viable options in veteran QBs: Carson Wentz, Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan, or in a real Hail Mary, bringing Tom Brady out of retirement. Unlikely, but not impossible!

Wilson is pretty green and though his performance on Monday night wasn’t hugely inspiring—completing 14-of-21 pass attempts for 140 yards, one touchdown, and one interception—he did help his team to victory.

But he’s still obviously learning how team dynamics work. In 2022, he came under fire for not taking more responsibility for an ugly loss to the Patriots by completing just nine passes out of 22 attempts for 77 yards. He was asked, “Do you feel like you let the defense down at all?” to which he gave a curt: “No.” This apparently rubbed some teammates the wrong way. Wilson later said that the backlash was “deserved”. He told SNYTV that, “The way that I handled the situation wasn’t right. I gotta be a better football player, and then I gotta be a better leader for these guys.”

He was selected second overall by the Jets in the 2021 NFL Draft, after a stellar college career resulting in two-time bowl game MVP.

Teammates react to Aaron Rodgers’ injury

Allen Lazard, who played five seasons with Rodgers in Green Bay, told reporters: “Obviously, just seeing how he responded to getting up and everything and limping off the field, it wasn’t anything good,” he said. “But honestly, it’s almost like comical just on how this whole offseason played out for him to go down the first game without even completing a pass and everything.”

Achilles tear

The Achilles tendon—also known as the calcaneal tendon—is the largest tendon in the body, stretching from your heel bone to your calf muscle and it can handle about four times a person’s body weight. Almost one in four athletes will suffer an Achilles tendon injury in their lifetime.

“The classic sign of a ruptured Achilles tendon is feeling (and sometimes hearing) a pop or snap at the back of your ankle,” per the Cleveland Clinic. “People often mistakenly think something has hit them, but they’re actually feeling the tendon snap.”

Other common symptoms include:

• Sharp, sudden pain in the back of the ankle near the heel.
• Swelling and bruising in the back of the ankle.
• Pain when walking, especially upstairs or uphill.
• Tenderness in the spot where the tendon is torn.

Achilles tear recovery

The Achilles tear recovery time can vary depending on treatment and severity of the rupture. There are two ways to treat it: nonsurgical, which involves crutches, ice, and a walking boot. There are benefits to this, like reducing the risk of infection but rehabilitation can take longer.

“Some prompt treatment is important, however, as a torn Achilles tendon will seldom heal on its own,” writes Asheesh Bedi, MD, on SportsMD.com. “With rupture, the muscle belly and tendon retract proximally into the calf and leave a large “gap” defect that cannot heal.”

If it is a rupture, as the Jets medical staff guess, it’s more likely that Rodgers will have surgery. “Depending on the condition of the torn tissue, the repair might be reinforced with other tendons,” according to the Mayo Clinic. “After either treatment, you’ll have physical therapy exercises to strengthen your leg muscles and Achilles tendon. Most people return to their former level of activity within four to six months. It’s important to continue strength and stability training after that because some problems can persist for up to a year.”

With some of the best sports medicine staff, the average length of recovery is in the 10–12-month range, meaning at worst, Rodgers has just bid farewell to his first season at the Jets.