FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Injured quarterback Aaron Rodgers won’t play once more this season, the New York Jets confirmed Wednesday, however he’ll proceed to apply.
With Rodgers’ 21-day apply window as a consequence of shut, the Jets determined to activate Rodgers to the 53-man roster for the ultimate three video games. It is a victory of kinds for Rodgers, who had tried to return from Achilles surgical procedure quicker than any participant in NFL historical past. Symbolically, it will enable him to be a part of the staff, however it’s additionally uncommon as a result of he takes up a roster spot.
Coach Robert Saleh made it clear there is no such thing as a likelihood of Rodgers getting right into a sport.
“No, no, no, he isn’t [playing],” Saleh mentioned.
Saleh mentioned the Jets (5-9), out of playoff rivalry, have sufficient roster flexibility to make this transfer. It means they’ve 4 quarterbacks on their 53-man roster: Rodgers, Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemian and Brett Rypien. Wilson, injured in Sunday’s 30-0 loss to the Miami Dolphins, stays within the concussion protocol, however there’s nonetheless an opportunity he might play Sunday towards the Washington Commanders, Saleh mentioned.
Rodgers, 40, has practiced six instances over the previous three weeks, impressing teammates and coaches together with his fast restoration from Sept. 13 surgical procedure. It was all the time thought-about a protracted shot that he would make it again for a sport. If the staff did not activate him, leaving him on injured reserve, Rodgers would not have been permitted to apply.
“It is all a part of his rehab, and simply having him out on the soccer discipline is a plus for everyone,” Saleh mentioned. “It is a plus for him. It is a plus for his teammates. And so we’ll hold him up for apply.”
Rodgers had been concentrating on Sunday’s sport as a possible return, however he introduced Tuesday on “The Pat McAfee Present” that he was achieved for the season. He acknowledged that his left Achilles nonetheless wasn’t 100% and that it most likely would not be totally healed for one more three weeks. He mentioned he would have pushed to play if the Jets have been nonetheless alive for the postseason, however they have been mathematically eradicated Sunday.
“There’s all the time a concern about re-rupture for those who’re going too quick,” Rodgers mentioned Tuesday. “However this permits me to — I am not going to gradual my rehab down. I will hold attacking it each single day, however now, with out a timetable to come back again, clearly, we might be as good as we must be.”
Rodgers, staff officers and medical doctors — his private physician and staff medical doctors — mentioned his standing Tuesday. Saleh declined to touch upon whether or not Rodgers was denied medical clearance to play. He mentioned it was Rodgers’ choice.
“My intuition says if he was 100%, he’d most likely be banging the door a bit bit extra,” Saleh mentioned. “However like he mentioned, he is a pair weeks away, and so there’s all the time weighing the dangers.”
Rodgers tore his Achilles on the fourth play of Week 1, sending the Jets right into a tailspin. A season that started with Tremendous Bowl goals will finish out of the playoffs for the thirteenth straight 12 months — the longest lively drought among the many 4 main U.S. males’s sports activities leagues.
Siemian might be the fourth quarterback to start out for the Jets this season, though Saleh refused to rule out Wilson, who took a number of hits towards the Dolphins and was eliminated within the second quarter.
“We’ll see,” Saleh mentioned. “Every thing is improved, so I am not closing the door on that.”
Wilson’s mom, Lisa Wilson, shared particulars in regards to the concussion on social media. She mentioned her son left the sport “when he began having issues with blurred imaginative and prescient and his depth notion.” She mentioned he had been experiencing signs all through the sport due to some “actually, actually huge hits” however did not inform anybody on the sideline as a result of he needed to maintain enjoying. He was evaluated and cleared early within the sport by a neurologist, in line with the CBS telecast.
Saleh mentioned Wilson finally was eliminated by the unbiased neurologist on the sport.
“Generally we do not all the time catch it proper, and that is why we now have the NFL spotters to identify issues up high and all that stuff,” Saleh mentioned. “However gamers don’t wish to come off the sector, too, and also you all the time encourage them to speak.
“Credit score to Zach; he’ll combat,” Saleh added. “That is one factor I will say about that younger man is he is all the time gotten up. Irrespective of what number of hits he is taken, what number of instances he is working for his life, he is all the time come again to the huddle. And so I’ve an excellent appreciation for him, however on the identical time, thank goodness that it was noticed up high and we have been in a position to get him the care he wants.”
