![Aaron Rodgers]()
Alex Smith has been through some sh*t in his time as an NFL quarterback. More than most. If anyone can level with a fellow field general about a devastating injury, it's him. For all the nonsense ESPN has peddled about things like
Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark, what a masterstroke it was to pair up Smith with Aaron Rodgers for a sit-down interview.
During a key portion of this conversation, Rodgers discussed one of the most brutal plot twists in recent pro football memory ahead of the New York Jets' Monday night matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. That plot twist of course being when he blew out his Achilles in Week 1 of last season.
It's not often you see Rodgers let his guard down to this degree. Something about connecting with Smith seemed to bring it out of him. Especially nowadays it's so easy to lose sight of the physical toll football takes, because millions of us love the game so much and just want to see our teams and fantasy football stars do well. This is some of the most compelling dialogue about quarterback play and injuries you'll see.
"I knew when I was on the ground that something was wrong. Sometimes you get drilled, something’s off, you just kind of hope you get up, and it shakes itself out. Oh OK well that’s just a sprained MCL, or an ankle I have to walk off.
But when I stood up…I knew it and I just went down."
https://twitter.com/BoyGreen25/status/1832570055348846783
Last year really was one of the coolest scenes in my sports-watching lifetime, when Rodgers darted onto the field with the American flag on September 11 to absolute pandemonium at MetLife Stadium.
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1701387904373969244
To go from that to a season-ending injury in a matter of four plays is just the cruelest, most devastating outcome one could possibly imagine. In addition to how hard Rodgers' personal set back hit him, all the long-suffering Jets fans who finally had a surefire superstar QB were suddenly left with a lost season.
Now there's been so much build-up to the 2024 campaign. Rodgers' lengthy rehab is complete. The
vibes coming out of Jets camp are through the roof. The fan base is optimistic. It's very much a Super Bowl or bust situation. Rodgers himself has admitted that if this year doesn't go well, everybody's liable to get fired thereafter from the coaching staff to the franchise looking much harder at a more immediate Rodgers succession plan.
Speculation persists that
Rodgers could reunite with Davante Adams via an in-season trade if and when the Las Vegas Raiders struggle. Watching Rodgers sling it to Davante and Garrett Wilson would be a football purist's delight — and it'd flip the entire AFC and playoff picture on its head. Say what you will about some of Rodgers' quirkiness away from the field. He transcends the mundane when it comes to throwing the football.
Here's hoping the four-time NFL MVP stays healthy with his 41st birthday looming in December.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mInaNPwWahw
