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New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is sacked in a game against the Buffalo Bills.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh didn’t have much time to think about friend-turned-rival Aaron Rodgers after he went down in the September 11 game with what could be a season-ending injury.
The New York Jets quarterback was injured on his team’s first drive of the night after being sacked by Bills edge rusher Leonard Floyd. Though he was initially able to get up to his feet, Rodgers went back down to the turf as the team’s medical staff came out to tend to him.
Rodgers was replaced by Zach Wilson, who along with an aggressive Jets defense helped to lead a 22-16 upset over the Bills in overtime.
Rodgers was helped off the field and taken to the medical tent on the sidelines before being carted to the locker room. The Jets announced later that X-rays were negative but that Rodgers would be out for the game.
After the game, Allen had a terse replay when asked about his reaction to Rodgers’ injury.
Josh Allen Speaks Out on Aaron Rodgers’ Injury
After the game, a visibly frustrated Allen put the blame on himself and the four turnovers — three interceptions and a lost fumble — he committed during the game. When asked about his reaction to Rodgers’ injury, Allen said he had to focus on the game.
“The thought was, we just had to continue to play football,” Allen said in his postgame press conference.
While there was no official word on the severity of Rodgers’ injury, there was some worry that he may have suffered an Achilles injury that could have been season-ending.
“Jets’ HC Robert Saleh told reporters that he believes Aaron Rodgers suffered an Achilles injury and ‘it’s not good,’ ” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Twitter the game.
The Jets traded for Rodgers in May, sending a package of draft picks to the Green Bay Packers to land the former MVP. The Jets added running back Dalvin Cook, building up expectations that the team would compete with the Bills in the AFC East, with some pegging the Jets as a Super Bowl contender.
As CBS Sports noted, the team’s projection would look drastically different if Rodgers were to have suffered a season-ending injury. SportsLine’s projections estimate that the Jets reach 9.6 wins with Rodgers as the starter, with a 60% chance to make the playoffs. The projection drops to 5.8 wins with Wilson at quarterback and a 5% chance to make the playoffs.
Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers Forged Close Relationship
Allen and Rogers have grown close, thanks in part to a shared interest in another sport — golf. The pair competed against each other in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February and crossed paths again at the Kentucky Derby.
At the time, Allen shared some big praise for Rodgers and said he was happy to get to establish a relationship with him.
Got to talk with him for a little bit, like he’s one of my favorite quarterbacks of all time,” Allen said in a May 10 appearance on “Kyle Brandt’s Basement.” “I think he’s the most gifted thrower of all time, his body mechanics like I try to emulate what he does. And I’ve been such a big fan of him for so long and to kind of have the relationship that we have like, it’s still surreal to me that he’s taken a liking into me like that.”
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions for Heavy. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
