Should Aaron Rodgers Retire?
It’s official. New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers completely tore his left Achilles tendon Monday night against the Buffalo Bills, Tom Pelissero officially reported Tuesday. It was a highly anticipated debut for Jets fans across the country, and now, Rodgers’ season is over.
An MRI confirmed the #Jets’ fears: Four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers suffered a complete tear of his left Achilles tendon Monday night, per sources. pic.twitter.com/1QSpMzd2lC
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 12, 2023
Rodgers played just four snaps before being sacked by Leonard Floyd and getting rolled around awkwardly. It was believed that Rodgers suffered a minor ankle injury before replay showed otherwise. Eventually, he was carted off for X-rays and ruled out of the game.
Aaron Rodgers was injured and helped off the field on the first Jets drive vs. the Bills. pic.twitter.com/vtKHRW566V
— ESPN (@espn) September 12, 2023
Achilles injuries can be career-altering, and with Rodgers turning 40-years-old in December, he may not ever return to the level of play that we know he’s capable of.
In a study done by the University of Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Journal, it was revealed that “31% of NFL players who sustain an Achilles tendon rupture will not return to play in the NFL. On average, players who return to play may see an over 50% reduction in their power ratings following such an injury.”
David Bakhtiari was furious with the NFL for still letting players compete on turf fields instead of grass. After Rodgers went down, Bakhtiari headed to Twitter to express his frustration.
Congrats @nfl. How many more players have to get hurt on ARTIFICIAL TURF??! You care more about soccer players than us. You plan to remove all artificial turf for the World Cup coming up. So clearly it’s feasible.
— David Bakhtiari (@DavidBakhtiari) September 12, 2023
I’m sick of this..Do better!
The NFL and NFLPA have long been at odds over the usage of artificial turf. Rodgers said in 2022 that it was “time to go all grass throughout the league.“
They’re completely right. In a 2019 study done by the University Hospitals Sports Medicine Institute, they found athletes were “58 percent more likely to sustain an injury during athletic activity on artificial turf. Researchers identified a total of 953 injuries during the 2017-2018 athletic seasons, with 585 of them occurring on synthetic turf and 368 on natural grass.
“Injuries in upper and lower extremities and torso occurred more frequently on artificial turf than on natural grass.”
Rodgers’ Rocky Road
It’s harder to heal when athletes get older, and it’s even harder when that injury is something this serious. The question is, should Rodgers retire now?
The four-time MVP signed a three-year, $112.5 million deal with the Jets this offseason that includes $75 million in fully guaranteed money for 2023 and 2024, according to Spotrac. In his previous contract, he was due to make about $110 million in guarantees. Rodgers took a massive $35 million pay cut so the team could be in contention for that time span.
“This is going to be a few-years partnership,” Rodgers said back in early August. “I’m taking it one year at a time. Yeah, I’d love to play as long as I can, as long as it’s fun, as long as my body feels good, as long as they want me.”
The 2022 season was rough for the Green Bay Packers, who missed the playoffs and Rodgers looked like he was regressing. Rodgers expressed that he was already “90 percent” retired before he entered his darkness retreat in February.
However, this could’ve been because of his increasingly rocky situation with the Packers, and it seems like Rodgers found a youthful spark since moving to New York. Still, it’s a big number and it’s going to be a long and brutal rehab if he wants to come back.
Personally, I don’t think Rodgers should retire. The league is better with him playing and he’s still playing at a high level. He was brought in to give the Jets a shot at the Super Bowl, something they haven’t been close to since 2011. I was really excited to watch him play Monday night and I know a lot of other people were too.
So, to Aaron Rodgers, don’t retire. Fight like hell to get back and don’t end your career on this kind of note.
Do you think Rodgers should retire? Let us know in the comments!
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