Aaron Rodgers 'Resisted Scans' This Season So He Wouldn't Have to Stop Playing

The Jets quarterback has suffered multiple injuries this season, and we may not have known the full severity of those injuries.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers reacts to a play.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers reacts to a play. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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Aaron Rodgers made it clear he wants to return to NFL action in 2025, but it may not be with the New York Jets. Rodgers's future will mostly be determined by his health, which apparently isn't in the best shape this season.

The Jets quarterback, who turns 41 on Dec. 2, has dealt with multiple injuries this season, but he apparently hasn't expressed the severity of them, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported. Additionally, Rapoport noted that a source said Rodgers has even "resisted getting scans done" so he wouldn't have to stop playing.

"One source explained that Rodgers has resisted getting scans done, not wanting to reveal the severity of his injuries out of fear of having to come off the field. He has insisted that he keep playing," Rapoport wrote.

One example this season is the hamstring injury he suffered in Week 4 vs. the Denver Broncos. The injury reportedly was more significant than reported, but Rodgers told the team "I'm playing." He's also dealt with knee and ankle injuries, but he's still played in all 11 games—a big difference from last year when he suffered a season-ending Achilles tear on the first drive of the season.

It's possible Rodgers could even be benched this season as sources told The Athletic's Diana Russini that these chances are "increasingly likely." ESPN's Rich Cimini also reported that it's "highly unlikely" the Jets bring back Rodgers next season. It'll be interesting to see where, if anywhere, Rodgers ends up in 2025 to likely finish out his career.

Rodgers has led the Jets to a 3–8 record, which is the worst start to a season for the quarterback other than when he went 0–2 in 2006, according to StatMuse. Rodgers has completed 63.4% of his passes for 2,442 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions.


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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.