Jets' Rodgers is healthy, focused and 'relaxed' a year to the day of his injury

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers faced an uncertain playing future a year ago as he limped off the field with what turned out to be a torn Achilles tendon.

On the one-year anniversary of his season-ending injury, the 40-year-old New York Jets quarterback is healthy and a game into his comeback. And his focus Wednesday was solely on preparing to play the Tennessee Titans — and not reflecting on all the disappointment and doubts from a year ago.

“I had forgotten about it, actually, until I got a text this morning early about it,” Rodgers said, declining to reveal who sent him the message.

After all, he has talked plenty over the past 12 months about going down on the fourth snap of his debut with the Jets against the Buffalo Bills in the season opener on Sept. 11, 2023. The injury briefly left Rodgers wondering if that would be the last play of his career.

But he approached his recovery and rehabilitation as anyone who knows the four-time NFL MVP would expect: with fierce determination to pull off another victory.

Now, Rodgers is officially back. And he's got wins — on the field — on his mind.

“Yeah, we go into the Groundhog Day mindset being a Wednesday and we’re on to the next opponent,” Rodgers said. “But, yeah, like I said before the game last week, there was a lot of emotion, a lot of perspective and gratitude. A lot's changed in a year and I’m glad to still be playing and feel healthy.”

Rodgers was 13 of 21 for 167 yards with a touchdown and one interception that came on a deflected pass in the Jets' season-opening loss 32-19 to San Francisco on Monday night. He came out of it feeling fine physically, but determined to play better this week against the Titans.

“I feel good about what I did out there, for the most part,” he said. “I felt like my feet were good, the perfunctory signals were good, subtle adjustments. There’s some things I can clean up, for sure, but it was good to get back out there and feel like I was in the flow, at least.”

Leading up to the game against the 49ers, Rodgers warned against the overreactions that would inevitably come from some fans and reporters. If the Jets won, he said, people would say they're going to the Super Bowl. A loss, and the “same old Jets” talk that has permeated a few generations of faithful followers would be back in full force.

Well, he was right. The Jets' rough loss and the struggles of the defense, in particular, had some outside the facility already panicking.

But the man who once implored Green Bay Packers fans to “R-E-L-A-X” in 2014 is back at it, this time with a twist for Jets fans.

“I mean, I think we've always got to stay relaxed,” he said. “It’s a long season. I think at times, people think the season is like you’re out in the prairie or the desert and you’re wandering around trying to find water. But it’s more like a nice, slow bolero, where we’re just swaying with the music and reacting to whatever comes to us and through us and just trying to not get too high with the highs or too low with the lows.”

Rodgers acknowledged the media landscape is much different than it was when he made headlines with his comment 10 years ago. The amount of coverage has increased and social media has a lot to do with that.

“There’s so much more opportunity for overreaction, so I get it,” he said. "We want to win, the fans want to win, the organization wants to win, but the process has to be the same. If it’s good enough in Week 1, it’s good enough in the playoffs. So we've got to stick to the process and the preparation, the way that goes and trust that it’s good enough.

“Like a nice, smooth bolero.”

Rodgers and the Jets certainly hope to do a victory dance in Nashville, but then have a quick turnaround next week for their home opener against New England on “Thursday Night Football.”

“I really asked those guys up front to block for me, so I can feel like I do right now,” Rodgers said with a grin. “I got hit twice and kicked once (against San Francisco). So that’s a pretty good night for a 40-year-old.”

NOTES: The Jets brought back a familiar face, signing former starting C Connor McGovern to the practice squad. McGovern had been New York's starter since 2020 before a knee injury sidelined him for the second half of last season. ... New York also signed LB Jackson Sirmon to the practice squad and released RB Xazavian Valladay. ... CBs D.J. Reed (knee) and Michael Carter II (ankle) were listed as limited for the team's walkthrough, but coach Robert Saleh said both will be fine to play. ... DL Javon Kinlaw was excused from practice for the birth of his child.

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Dennis Waszak Jr., The Associated Press