It’s been 373 days since one of the darkest hours in Jets history.
Before Thursday night’s Jets home opener against the Patriots, the last time their fans saw Aaron Rodgers at MetLife Stadium he was charging out of the tunnel waving an American flag commemorating the Jets’ Sept. 11, 2023 season opener against the Bills.
On the fourth offensive play into that game for the Jets, Rodgers ruptured his left Achilles tendon and was lost for the season.
It’s been a long, arduous road for him since.
As there always is with Rodgers, drama ensued.
Thanks to his weekly Tuesday spots on the “Pat McAfee Show,’’ there were few dull moments with Rodgers during his rehab period as he chronicled everything.
It has all led to his highly-anticipated return to the home field Thursday night.
“It’s been a long time since I took the field at ‘Jetlife,’” Rodgers said before the game.
Rodgers said he anticipated that there would be “be a lot of emotions for sure, but we’re thankfully into our third game of the season, (having) played two full games.’’
Indeed, there figured to be a lot fewer people holding their breath about Rodgers’ repaired Achilles since he’s already played two road games entering this one.
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He said his “body feels good, about as good as it can on a short week,’’ adding, “It’ll be fun to be out there with the crowd, and night games … I love night games.’’
Rodgers’ ordeal began that fateful Sept. 11 night when he was sacked by Buffalo’s Leonard Floyd and was carted off the field.
He was placed on injured reserve the following day, Sept. 12.
On Sept. 13, Rodgers announced via Instagram that he underwent a “successful’’ surgery while vowing to “rise yet again.” The procedure in his surgery involved a “speed bridge” procedure designed to expedite the recovery process.
On Sept. 15, Rodgers, in his first public remarks since the injury and subsequent surgery, hinted on “McAfee’’ that he might return to play before the end of the 2023 season.
On Oct. 15, Rodgers appeared at the Jets Week 6 game against the Eagles at MetLife Stadium and was not only walking without crutches, but he was doing some light throwing of some passes in pre-game.
On Oct. 17, Jets head coach Robert Saleh told reporters he wasn’t ruling out the possibility of Rodgers returning to play in ’23, saying of Rodgers: “He’s fueled by doubt. The more you doubt him, the more fuel he has. He’s on a mission.”
On Oct. 29, before the Jets played the Giants at MetLife, Rodgers was again seen on the field before the game throwing and this time making football-like moves such as dropping back and rolling out, whetting the appetites of Jets fans who were tired of watching Zach Wilson fail.
On Nov. 15, Rodgers told NBC in a TV interview that he was targeting a mid-December return. “I know it sounds insane, but you do a good surgery, you have a good patient, it makes this possible,” Rodgers said.
On Nov. 16, there were reports that Rodgers was planning for his return for the Jets’ Christmas Eve game against Washington.
On Nov. 29, the Jets officially opened Rodgers’ practice window, giving the team three weeks to activate him to the 53-man roster. The Jets were 4-7 at the time. Rodgers said if he was medically cleared to play and if the Jets were still alive in the playoff race, he would play.
On Dec. 1, just 77 days removed from surgery, Rodgers returned to practice for the first time.
On Dec. 20, the end of the three-week practice window, the Jets, 5-9 and out of the playoff race, declared that Rodgers wouldn’t play again in ’23, though they did activate him on the 53-man roster so he could continue to practice with the team for the final three weeks of the season.That was a symbolic victory of sorts for Rodgers, boosting his morale amidst the long rehab.
In the end, Rodgers rushing a return wasn’t worth the risk of re-injury, which would have sabotaged the 2024 season.
“I had a lot of things working against me, my age being the biggest one,’’ Rodgers said.
Rodgers participated full in all offseason activities, looked sharp in training camp and now has two 2024 games under his belt.
That brought him full-circle to Thursday night against the Patriots at MetLife in what he hopes to be memorable for all the right reasons this time.
One more hurdle in a year full of them.