Aaron Rodgers is seen taking in the Breeders’ Cup races as the Jets quarterback reaffirms his motivation to return from Achilles injury this season: ‘Step by step’
- Rodgers said he dropped a bet on horse No. 8 based on his bib number
- He reaffirmed that his rehabilitation is going well and that he would like to play in 2023
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New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers reaffirmed Saturday that he hopes to be back on the field this season.
The 39-year-old quarterback, who was part of the crowd at Santa Anita Park for the Breeders’ Cup on Saturday, told NBC Sports that he is rehabbing daily and “feeling good.”
Rodgers tore his left Achilles tendon four times in his debut with the Jets on September 11.
“It’s a process, step by step, day by day,” Rodgers said in the interview. “There are some great days, some tough days. But the goal for me is to come back this year.
‘It has to be, otherwise it would have been a lot of rehabilitation for nothing, I think. We’ll see what happens. To do that, I need to hit some marks first. I need to be able to move. I have to be able to avoid endangering myself.”
Aaron Rodgers was spotted winning the Breeders’ Cup and reaffirmed his hopes of playing again
Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon in Week 1 but says he is ahead of schedule with his recovery
Rodgers made throws and dropbacks for Sunday’s Giants-Jets game
There have been some signs of hope — the most recent coming last weekend when he dropped back and put some weight on his injured left leg while completing several passes during warmups before the Jets’ game against the New York Giants.
The Jets won 13-10 in overtime, extending their winning streak to three games and improving to 4-3 on the season.
Zach Wilson, who took over for Rodgers at quarterback, will look to match his career best by winning his fourth straight start when the Jets host the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night.
“The team played well,” Rodgers said. “Proud of Zach, proud of the boys, we’re 4-3, we have a big one on Monday night and one coming the following week on NBC.
“So I’m excited to get back there (Sunday) and see the guys, cheer for a win and keep getting better.”
Rodgers has been a horse racing enthusiast for many years. His choice for Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic was Japanese horse Ushba Tesoro – the No. 8 horse in the race.
Rodgers chose him because his jersey number is 8, and told NBC he still regrets not fielding the 8 in the Kentucky Derby in May.
The number 8 in the Derby, Mage, won at odds of 15-1, meaning Rodgers missed a significant payday.