Robert Saleh addresses prospect of Aaron Rodgers retiring after Achilles injury

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New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh says he "would be shocked" if Aaron Rodgers' career came to an end this way. On Monday Night Football, 39-year-old Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon in the Jets' fourth offensive snap against the Buffal Bills and his 2023 season is over.

Rodgers, who left the Green Bay Packers after spending his first 18 seasons there, will be turning 40 in December and some fear his Jets career will end up lasting just four snaps. “I haven’t gone down that road with him, but I’d be shocked if this is the way he’s gonna go out.

But at the same time for him, he’s working through a whole lot of things that he needs to deal with. That will be the last thing I talk to him about," Saleh said, via The New York Post.

Saleh would welcome Rodgers' presence

After Rodgers undergoes surgery to repair the damage in his Achilles, Saleh admits it would be nice to have him present in practices and during game days. “We’re limited on headsets, but if he wants a headset, he can have one.

I think it’s very important. It’s important for him. I think for mental health and healing, I think it’s very important. But his presence, his words…I guess that he’s as much of a football coach as he is a player.

Just having his presence, his thoughts, his words and his leadership, anybody would want that," Saleh said. After Rodgers exited the game against the Bills, Zach Wilson replaced him and led the Jets to a 22-16 win. After the game, Jets head coach Saleh named Wilson as the starting quarterback going forward.

Wilson's 2022 season may not have been the greatest but Saleh remains confident in the second overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft. “I’m still working through it all, but like I said, we’re not pressed right now because there’s two guys right now that are on the roster for game day.

We’ve got a lot of faith in Zach. I think that people forget that he was 5-1 before the bye week [last season] and before half the offense was decimated with injuries from a year ago," Saleh noted.