It's been 373 days since one of the darkest periods in Jets history.
The last time fans saw Aaron Rodgers at MetLife Stadium before the Jets' home opener against the Patriots on Thursday night was when he came running out of the tunnel waving an American flag in honor of the Jets' 2023 season opener against the Bills on Sept. 11.
On the Jets' fourth play of the game, Rodgers ruptured his left Achilles tendon, ending his season.
It's been a long and difficult road for him since then.
As is always the case with Rodgers, drama ensued.
There was hardly a dull moment during Rogers' rehabilitation, as he kept everything documented, thanks to his appearances on “The Pat McAfee Show” every Tuesday.
It all led to his long-awaited return to home soil on Thursday night.
“It's been a while since I've been on the field for Jet Life,” Rodgers said before the game.
“Obviously there's going to be a lot of emotions going into this, but thankfully we're in our third game of the season and have played two full games,” Rodgers said.
In fact, Rodgers has already played two away games prior to this match, so hopes of an Achilles injury are likely to be slimmed down considerably.
The match will be streamed live on Amazon Prime Video on Thursday night.
“I feel good, I'm in great shape for a short week,” he said, adding, “It'll be fun to play with a crowd and a night game…I love night games.”
Rodgers' ordeal began on that fateful night of Sept. 11, when he was sacked by Buffalo's Leonard Floyd and carried off the field on a stretcher.
He was placed on injured reserve the following day, September 12th.
On September 13, Rodgers announced on Instagram that he had undergone “successful” surgery, which he said was a “speed bridging” procedure designed to speed up recovery, and vowed to “rise again.”
On September 15, Rodgers, speaking publicly for the first time since his injury and subsequent surgery, suggested on “McAfee” that he may return before the end of the 2023 season.
On October 15, Rodgers appeared at the Jets' Week 6 game against the Eagles at MetLife Stadium, not only walking without crutches but also throwing some easy passes before the game.
On Oct. 17, Jets head coach Robert Saleh told reporters that he had not ruled out the possibility of Rodgers returning in '23, saying of Rodgers, “He's driven by doubt. The more doubt he has, the more he's driven. He's on a mission.”
On Oct. 29, before the Jets took on the Giants at MetLife, Rodgers was seen taking to the field pregame again to throw, this time performing football-like moves like a drop-back and roll-out, piqued the interest of Jets fans who had grown tired of Zach Wilson's fumbles.
On November 15, Rogers said in a television interview with NBC that he was aiming for a mid-December return. “It sounds crazy, but if we have good surgery and good patients, that's a possibility,” Rogers said.
On November 16, it was reported that Rodgers was scheduled to return for the Jets' Christmas Eve game against Washington.
On November 29, the Jets officially opened Rodgers' training period, giving the team three weeks to add him to the 53-man roster. The Jets were 4-7 at the time. Rodgers said he would play if he was medically cleared and the Jets were still in playoff contention.
On Dec. 1, just 77 days after his surgery, Rodgers returned to practice for the first time.
On December 20, at the end of a three-week practice period and with a 5-9 record and no chance of making the playoffs, the Jets announced that Rodgers would sit out the '23 season, but added him to the 53-man roster so he could continue practicing with the team for the final three weeks of the season. It was a symbolic win for Rodgers and boosted his morale during his long rehabilitation.
In the end, rushing Rodgers back wasn't worth the risk of re-injury that could ruin his 2024 season.
“There were a lot of things working against me, but the biggest one was age,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers participated in all offseason activities, looked good in training camp and has played two 2024 games.
So now he's back, full force, for Thursday night's game against the Patriots at MetLife, this time in what he hopes will be a memorable game in every respect.
Another hurdle in a year full of hurdles.
