Garrett Wilson expresses sadness over season-ending injury to Aaron Rodgers

Coming off a season which earned him AP Offensive Player of the Year honors, expectations were high for New York Jets receiver Garrett Wilson to take the next step following the arrival of star quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the “Big Apple.”

While Wilson still may go on to meet those expectations, he’ll have to do it without Rodgers. The four-time NFL MVP suffered a torn Achilles in the 22-16 Week 1 victory over the Buffalo Bills on “Monday Night Football.”

Wilson, one day removed from the win, said he briefly visited with Rodgers at halftime. The 23-year-old wideout revealed what Rodgers told him as the two embraced.

You could see #Jets WR Garrett Wilson is absolutely crushed talking about Aaron Rodgers:

“It really hurt my heart. He told me ‘sorry kid.’” 💔

(via @BartandHahn)

pic.twitter.com/BWtuahBDUt https://t.co/hbXnIKBQbA

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 13, 2023

“At halftime I just went in to check on him in the training room and just make sure I gave him a hug and told him I love him,” Wilson said on 98.7 FM ESPN New York. “It really hurt my heart. He told me ‘sorry, kid’ and said he loved me back and that was it. Just truly heartbroken.”

Garrett Wilson makes play of the night on Monday Night Football

While Wilson expressed sadness in that moment, he and the Jets still had two quarters of football to play. And with the Jets trailing 13-6 with just under five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Wilson made the play of the game.

On 2nd-and-Goal from the 4-yard line, Zach Wilson tried throwing a back-shoulder pass to Garrett Wilson on the outside of the opposing defensive back. But he threw the ball right in between Wilson and defensive back Tre’Davious White.

It was no matter for Wilson, who tapped the ball to himself and made the remarkable catch while falling down to the ground. The touchdown and subsequent PAT tied the game at 13. Xavier Gipson, the “Hard Knocks” darling and undrafted free agent out of Stephen F. Austin, would return a punt 65 yards to give New York the victory in overtime.

Aaron Rodgers placed on injured reserve, turn to Zach Wilson

Rodgers suffered the injury after Bills edge rusher Leonard Floyd sacked him to the ground on the fourth play of the Jets’ first offensive drive of the game. Rodgers went into the blue medical tent after being helped off the field. He went back to the locker room on a cart and the Jets announced him as out for the remainder of the game.

Head coach Robert Saleh expressed concern with Rodgers’ Achilles after the game, which an MRI Tuesday confirmed to be a full tear, meaning the 39-year-old will miss the entire season.

With Rodgers sidelined, New York will turn to Zach Wilson, its 2021 second overall pick. Wilson has started 22 games over the past two seasons, throwing for 4,022 yards, 15 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. The Jets benched Wilson this past season after poor play, prompting them to acquire the four-time NFL MVP Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers.

He completed 14-of-21 passes for 140 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the victory over Buffalo. Saleh made it clear Tuesday that Wilson will start in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys this Sunday.

“I want to make it very clear, Zach’s our quarterback,” Saleh said. “We have a lot of faith in Zach. We’re rolling with Zach and excited for him.”

Saleh did say the team plans to add a veteran quarterback to the roster. But that’s to provide more depth at the position and not challenge Wilson for the starting job.

“This is Zach’s team and we’re rolling with Zach,” Saleh said.