Ex-Cal Star Aaron Rodgers Reaches Out to His Fans: `I Shall Rise Yet Again'
Let me say first of all, I hope Aaron Rodgers is able to play again in the NFL.
Is it possible? Maybe.
Do I think it’s likely as he approaches 40 years old? Not so much.
Rodgers tweeted Thursday that his Wednesday surgery went well. But that's just begins the long rehabilitation.
The former Cal star was the talk of the NFL offseason as he prepared to transition from 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers to the New York Jets.
For the longest time after last season, we weren’t even sure whether Rodgers would play another season. He spent four days during the offseason in a silent retreat in Oregon contemplating his future.
He made us wait until late April when the Packers finally negotiated a deal sending Rodgers to a franchise that has not won a Super Bowl since Joe Namath guaranteed one in 1969.
As soon as the trade was made, Rodgers was all in with the Jets. He said all the right things, made himself a visible citizen of New York City, got his new teammates on his side.
He also won over a fan base that has endured a half-century of disappointment. He provided hope.
Could the Jets have won the Super Bowl this season? Probably not. They are much-improved, but they’re not the Chiefs or the Eagles or the 49ers.
Four plays into Monday’s opener against Buffalo, Rodgers went down with what we later found out was an Achilles tear, and everything changed.
Rodgers made his first public statement Wednesday on his Instagram page, thanking everyone who had reached out to him. He said he hoped to respond to everyone, which is going to be a good trick considering the post had more than a half-million likes.
“I’m completely heartbroken and moving through all of the emotions, but deeply touched and humbled by the support and love,” Rodgers wrote. “Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I begin the healing process today.”
And then he delivered the line that must have sent every Jets fan over the moon:
“The night is darkest before the dawn. And I shall rise yet again.”
I hope so, but the New York Post doesn't seem real optimistic.
New York Post
Several prominent basketball players in recent years have returned from what is a very serious injury.
Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson both were 30 when they suffered Achilles injuries, and Kobe Bryant was 34. Each of them was sidelined for at least a year -- it was 552 days before Durant returned.
No one will ask Rodgers to dunk a basketball when he returns, so that works in his favor. And, as a quarterback, he will rely far less on sudden bursts of speed or change of direction than a receiver, defensive back or running back.
Still . . . 40 years old?
We’ll have to wait and see.
Cover photo of Aaron Rodgers moments before being injured by Robert Deutsch, USA Today
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
