Aaron Rodgers has let slip that he's feeling the wear and tear after the New York Jets' loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London, though his true grit shone through following a third-quarter injury.
Despite the setback, Rodgers pushed himself to continue. The four-time NFL MVP had a day to forget personally as the Vikings maintained their undefeated streak with a 23-17 victory at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Rodgers experienced an unusual first quarter by throwing two interceptions - something he hadn't done in his career before at 40 years old. Also notable was Andrew van Ginkel's touchdown off Rodgers' rare pick-six only the fifth in his career. Yet the second half saw a resurgence from Rodgers and the Jets dominating the scoreboard against the Vikings 10-6.
But then, it all came down to Rodgers' resilience in the face of injury during the third quarter, which nearly led the Jets to a stunning comeback until a late interception thrown by him - his third for the match - put an end to those hopes. The injury happened when Rodgers was hit on his left leg.
Despite hobbling to the sidelines, the future Hall of Famer refused to go down without a fight. He declined to be assessed in the blue tent, preferring to soldier on in the game.
"I'm definitely banged up," Rodgers confessed during the post-match press briefing, divulging details about the incident. "I got my foot caught on the pile there. You know, it just seems to be a low ankle sprain. They were trying to get me in the tent, and we had a rough in the kicker, and I said 'Screw it, I'm going back out there.'".
Following Sunday's loss, the Jets find themselves with a 2-3 record in 2024, yet despite their shaky beginning, Aaron Rodgers has rallied his troops with a call for unity and focus.
"The take with us is, if we stick together," Rodgers declared, acknowledging the doubts from outsiders by adding, "Because there'll be a lot of people outside the building who won't be sticking with the Jets. So, if we stick together, I still have a lot of confidence in this team."Rodgers spoke about the potential for the Jets to make an upturn, stressing his belief in their capability: "I think it's a team that's going to make a run. And whether that run starts next week, the following week, or whenever it might be, I'm confident in our guys, I'm confident in [the] leadership, and I'm confident we'll get this thing straight."
Even though Rodgers has faced criticism, particularly after a less-than-stellar showing against Minnesota, he remains his toughest judge. After recently getting back in the game post a season-ending Achilles injury last year, Rodgers maintains a high bar for himself: "You just got to be honest with your performance every single week and hold yourself to a standard," he conceded, noting that his most recent game saw him falling short of his usual levels.
Rodgers' two interceptions in the first quarter against the Vikings were unprecedented for him, and the quarterback acknowledged their impact: "Obviously, that was below my standard. I just found that I've never thrown two picks in the first quarter before, so that's the first.
"One of us cost obviously seven and the other, you know, could cost three. So in a game where you lose by six, you know, plays like that are exponentially highlighted."
