Aaron Rodgers didn’t let on that he was against the Jets by using a cut block on the play that ended with his Achilles injury, as The Athletic reported this week.
Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari, a former teammate of Rodgers, told The Athletic that he learned “you don’t cut unless Aaron says it in the huddle or at the line of scrimmage.”
“That was always the case with Dave,” Rodgers said Friday on “The Pat McAfee Show,” “because Dave didn’t really like to cut. He wasn’t good at it. But no, I like to cut .
Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett also pushed back on Rodgers’ supposed aversion to cut blocks on Thursday, saying every play included in the game plan was discussed “in great detail.”
If anyone were to know Rodgers’ preferences, Hackett would be at the top of the list, as both told close friends after working together for three years in Green Bay from 2019-21.
Rodgers, 39, was injured in the Jets’ season opener on “Monday Night Football” against the Bills, tearing his Achilles tendon in just his fourth game with his new team.
In the play, Jets right tackle Mekhi Becton went to hit defensive end Gregory Rousseau’s legs, failing, then Rodgers was hit and threw the pass.
He had surgery Wednesday, reporting on Instagram that everything went well, and in his first video interview since the injury, he has no plans to slow down.
“Give me the doubts,” Rodgers said. “Give me the times. Give me all the things that you think can, should, or will happen, because all I need is just a little extra percent of inspiration. That’s all I need.
“Give me your doubts. Give me your predictions. And then look what I do.
So much so that he hasn’t ruled out the playoffs.
In the words of NBA star Kevin Garnett, Rodgers said, “anything is possible.”
The odds are heavily stacked against Rodgers, as the recovery estimate is between 8 and 12 months.
New York Post
