(East Rutherford) Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was injured on the fourth down for the New York Jets against the Buffalo Bills on Monday night.
He suffered an ankle injury and had to leave in a cart, just 3:45 into the game.
After being sacked by Leonard Floyd of the Buffalo Bills, Rodgers sat on the field at MetLife Stadium, where he grabbed his leg and ankle before trainers tended to him. He got up after a few moments, but needed help to reach the New York sideline, under the stunned gaze of his coach Robert Saleh.
Before the injury, Rodgers had thrown a handoff to a running back, then he threw two incomplete passes.
X-rays came back negative, but the Jets announced midway through the second quarter that Rodgers was not going to return to the game. He was replaced by Zach Wilson.
The Jets acquired Rodgers in April from the Green Bay Packers, with whom he played 18 seasons.
He was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 2011, 2014, 2020 and 2021.
Before the game, the Bills announced that Damar Hamlin was listed as an inactive player.
The safety must wait before playing his first regular season match since his cardiac arrest. The Bills made the decision official a half-hour before the kickoff.
Hamlin, who had to be resuscitated on the field in Cincinnati in January, played in three exhibition games this summer. The 25-year-old athlete is one of the Bills’ reserves.
PHOTO MELISSA TAMEZ, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Damar Hamlin
He should play mostly on special teams, barring injuries to starters Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde.
Hamlin was replacing an injured Hyde against the Bengals when his heart stopped on January 2. He suffered a commotio cordis – a direct hit to a specific point in a heartbeat, which causes cardiac arrest.
Doctors assured Hamlin that he could return to playing without fear of setback or complications.