'Tremendous Love!' Cowboys' Mike McCarthy Reacts To Aaron Rodgers Injury
The NFL world gathered around to watch four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers make his New York Jets debut against the Buffalo Bills on Monday night, but unfortunately, that debut took a dark turn quickly.
On the Jets' first drive of the game, Rodgers took a sack from Bills linebacker Leonard Floyd and had to be helped off the field. Eventually, news broke that Rodgers had suffered a torn Achilles tendon, ending his season as soon as it began.
As the situation unfolded in real time, the NFL world watched in shock and sent its support to Rodgers. Few were shook more than Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, who coached Rodgers for over a decade with the Green Bay Packers. On Wednesday, McCarthy, whose Cowboys face the Jets on Sunday, shared his thoughts on his former quarterback's brutal injury.
“This is tough. I know he was very excited about this chapter in his life, and I was looking forward to seeing him this weekend," McCarthy said. "I think we’re all feeling for him personally.’’
The fact that Rodgers' injury took place just a week before McCarthy was set to see him again stings even more. This would've marked the two men's second meeting since Green Bay fired McCarthy in 2018, with the first coming in last November's Cowboys-Packers game. McCarthy and Rodgers had their differences in Green Bay, but 13 seasons together and a Super Bowl victory have brought them quite close.
“It’s great to compete against people you care about," said McCarthy, who reached out to Rodgers after the occurrence. "Him and I have been through a lot together. I have a tremendous amount of love for him."
Unfortunately, this isn't the first time Rodgers has dealt with major injury. He suffered a fractured clavicle in 2013 and a broken collarbone in 2017, both of which caused him to miss significant time. He managed to come back late in the season on both occasions, but unfortunately, that won't be the case this time.
“That’s what I was hoping was going to happen,’’ McCarthy said. “I feel terrible for him.’’
Despite his personal feelings, McCarthy realizes that he ultimately has a job to do. Whether Rodgers is on the field or not, McCarthy is going to do everything he can to lead the Cowboys to a win.
“I mean, I think everybody was excited for a challenge,’’ McCarthy said. “That’s only natural when you play against a great player. ... But at the end of the day, we need to get to 2-0.’’
