A lot happened the day Aaron Rodgers debuted for the New York Jets in the 2023 season. The 4x MVP surrendered his spot on the field back in 2023 and is returning after a season-long hiatus. With his slate wiped clean, Rodgers is headed to attempt his debut, yet again. This time, though, the New York Jets are headed to the Levi’s Stadium to kick off their season.

But before that happens, Rodgers wanted to take some time off and set the record straight. He took to ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown and spoke to former KC Chiefs QB Alex Smith, about his ACL injury experience during the Jets debut. Though it’s been a year and the incident is a “blur” memory, A-Rod described the flashback with surreal details.

“When I stood up I said, ‘ah, I knew it,’ you know, and then I just went down and you just, everything flashing before your eyes, you know. The 18 years of Green Bay, the trade, the spring, this excitement, this summer, the city, the Hard Knocks, run on the field with the flag for the first time, 9/11,” Rodgers admitted to Alex Smith.

It was the dreaded day of September 11, when the New York Jets went against the Buffalo Bills. That day, Rodgers took the national flag and ran to the field and the MetLife Stadium echoed with chants. Little did he know that his luck would turn upside down after just 4 snaps. The Jets ceased to have a winning season since 2015 and the last time they managed to secure a playoff berth was in 2010. So naturally, A-Rod had a lot of pressure to handle.

During the game, Rodgers faced pressure from Bills’ pass rusher Leonard Floyd, who managed to wrestle him down and tore his Achilles in the process. The Jets QB initially got up, but then sat down because of the pain. The then 39-year old quarterback hadn’t missed a game due to injuries since 2017 and it was all too surreal to him. 

“Yeah, and then just thinking that’s gonna be the last time. You know, because I know I’m old, and the rehab , I knew it was going to be tough. And so, in the training room, I really thought ‘Damn, that’s how I’m gonna go out?’”

It has been a crazy ride for A-Rod, who contemplated retirement after the Packers ended their 2022 season on a losing note. But the Super Bowl winning QB thought he had more to give to the sport of football, at least for two more years.

What led to Aaron Rodgers signing with the Jets?

Green Bay fans were fuming when they found out that Rodgers, who had spent 18 seasons with them, decided to play for the New York Jets, the same team that took away Brett Favre, another Green Bay legend. But what led the quarterback to choose the Brett Favre route? Rodgers voluntarily took a $35 million pay cut when he signed with the Jets. Why?

Part of it had to do with his impending retirement and part of it had to do with the Packers signing Jordan Love. Per The Athletic’s column, the Green Bay team did so “for a small bounty of draft picks.”

“I knew that (Love) was always a possibility, that they would wanna go, ‘You know what? We tried hard. We tried to win a championship. We had a good team, but now it might be time to go with Jordan, move some contract stuff around and do that,’” Rodgers shared of the time when the Pack drafted Jordan Love.

The Packers finished 2022 season with an 8-9 record and in the following off season, there was some back and forth between Packers GM Brian Gutekunst and chaos ensued when Rodgers missed one of Gutekunst’s calls. Those are few of the things that led to the Rodgers-Packers divorce. However, the QB was ready to move on.

“Change can be difficult, for sure, especially when it’s that drastic — 18 years in one spot,” Rodgers said after signing to the Jets. “But if you can lean into it and embrace it, there’s some really beautiful things on the other side. And I’ve been experiencing it so far and the people have been great, both in Jersey and in the city. And I’m just having a h-ll of a time.”

Now that we know the story, it’s not hard to believe why Rodgers’ life was flashing before his eyes. He had to endure some unfavorable circumstances and the Jets fans were already excited about Rodgers taking the reins to their team and it all went away in a blink. Now, the quarterback is ready to pick up from where he left off and he might have a point to prove in the Jets season opener against the 49ers.

Will Aaron Rodgers’ 2024 season be the greatest comeback story of all time? Let us know what you think.