New York Jets

Antonio Gates says if the Jets are looking for a veteran to replace Aaron Rodgers this season, they shouldn't look much further than Philip Rivers ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks the 41-year-old is "definitely capable" of doing the job.

Gates made the claim out in Beverly Hills this week ... in wake of reports that New York could potentially be looking to add a big-name QB after Rodgers' season ended with an Achilles tear on Monday night.

"Philip is someone that's definitely capable of doing it," said Gates, Rivers' old Chargers teammate. "Just because the mental capacity that he has."

The likelihood of the signing, though, seems slim at the moment ... Jets head coach Robert Saleh said this week his team is rolling with Zach Wilson as its starter -- and any outside help they bring in would be, at least for now, a backup to the 24-year-old.

And, while Gates was certainly confident in Rivers' ability to potentially take over in the Big Apple ... he seemed to believe keeping Wilson as QB1 was the right call.

"I'm sure they got him in position to go out and still try to make plays and help them win football games," Gates said.

Aaron Rodgers se refirió por primera vez a su desgarro en el tendón de Aquiles, diciendo que está "completamente destrozado" por la lesión. Aunque agregó que no está listo para retirarse por todo esto, al menos, no todavía.

El mariscal de campo utilizó su cuenta de Instagram este miércoles para reflexionar sobre la dolencia que sufrió en la victoria de los Jets sobre los Bills el lunes por la noche, y se emocionó.

Primero dio las gracias a todos los que se acercaron con buenos deseos, y se apuró en decir que tiene toda la intención de volver pronto.

Añadió, sin embargo, que todo ha sido bastante agotador para él.

"Estoy completamente desconsolado y pasando por todas las emociones", dijo el jugador de 39 años, "pero profundamente conmovido y humilde por el apoyo y el amor". 💔"

Mientras el entrenador en jefe de los Jets, Robert Saleh, dijo más temprano que Rodgers aún no se había sometido a una cirugía para arreglar su pierna, este escribió en su publicación de redes sociales que está comenzando "el proceso de curación hoy".

"Por favor, manténganme en sus pensamientos y oraciones", agregó.

En cuanto a sus planes de futuro, Rodgers no parece estar dispuesto a dar por terminada su carrera: "La noche es más oscura antes del amanecer. Y me levantaré de nuevo".

Luego elogió a NY por lograr la victoria sobre Buffalo sin él.

"Orgulloso de mis chicos", escribió. "1-0 🛩️"

Aaron Rodgers is breaking his silence on his Achilles tear ... saying he's "completely heartbroken" over the injury -- though he added he ain't ready to retire over it all ... at least, not yet.

The quarterback took to his Instagram page Wednesday to reflect on the ailment he suffered in the Jets' win over the Bills on Monday night ... and he got emotional.

He thanked everyone who reached out with well wishes ... while saying he fully intends to get back to everyone soon.

He added, though, that it's all been pretty taxing on him.

"I'm completely heartbroken and moving through all of the emotions," the 39-year-old said, "but deeply touched and humbled by the support and love. 💔"

While Jets head coach Robert Saleh said earlier Wednesday that Rodgers hadn't undergone surgery to fix his leg just yet ... Rodgers wrote in his social media post that he's beginning "the healing process today."

"Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers," he added.

As for his future plans ... Rodgers certainly didn't seem like a guy who's ready to call it a career -- saying, "The night is darkest before the dawn. And I shall rise yet again."

He then praised NY for pulling off the win over Buffalo without him.

"Proud of my guys," he wrote. "1-0 🛩️"

Robert Saleh clearly believes he'll have Aaron Rodgers under center next season ... 'cause the Jets head coach said Wednesday he'd be stunned to see the quarterback retire after his Achilles injury.

"I mean," the NY boss said, "I'd be shocked if this is the way he's going to go out."

Rodgers retirement rumors have swirled ever since an MRI on Tuesday revealed he blew out the Achilles tendon in his left leg on Monday Night Football.

After all, the dude's going to be 40 years old in December ... and he had already been pondering hanging up his cleats even prior to suffering the injury.

But, Saleh seems to believe his QB will come back in 2024 nonetheless ... though he explained to reporters he's yet to talk to the signal-caller about it all.

"I haven't gone down that road with him," Saleh said.

The Jets head coach ain't the only one who thinks Rodgers won't be finished despite the serious leg ailment ... Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Moon told TMZ Sports this week he, too, thinks Rodgers will return.

"I don't think he wants to go out like this," the ex-NFL star said.

For now, however, Saleh said Rodgers is weighing his options for potential surgery. Then, at some point later down the road, the guys will chat about '24.

It's going to be a long road to recovery for Aaron Rodgers, according to physician and YouTube star, Dr. Mike ... who detailed the superstar quarterback's path back to the gridiron after the devastating injury he sustained Monday night.

Achilles tears are always serious, but they get even harder to rehab as an athlete gets older, according to Mike ... and Rodgers will soon celebrate his 40th birthday (December).

"To have it at the age of 39 is really rough because it makes the road to recovery that much more difficult," Dr. Mike told TMZ Sports' Mojo Muhtadi.

Mike says the average recovery time is 10-12 months ... but there are instances where recovery has been much quicker (up to 6 months -- this is very uncommon), as well as longer.

It's not a rare injury ... in fact, Mike says around 1 in 4 athletes sustain an injury to their Achilles, and it's not something that only affects football players.

"We even saw this injury with a late Kobe Bryant when he had this injury and also in his mid-30s. And he came back from it, but he was never quite the same. He didn't have that explosiveness," Mike explained.

Assuming Rodgers wants to continue playing, there's some question about how effective he could be as a player.

"I think it's safe to say his mobility will be limited even if he does come back. But the explosiveness is what suffers because it's hard to regain that strength. Although this day and age, we have some pretty cool technologies to help athletes heal faster and better than we did even 10 years ago."

And, Mike is pumped to see what the most modern medical tech can do for Rodgers.

"I'm excited to see the protocol that Aaron Rodgers goes through on this because I think it's going to be not only exciting as a sports fan but also as a doctor to see how the technology helps someone of his stature come back."

Bottom line -- Rodgers is one of the most talented and determined athletes to ever put on a helmet, and if he's intent on returning, Dr. Mike isn't going to count him out.

The new leader of the NFL Players Association, Lloyd Howell, is demanding teams rip up their turf surfaces and replace them with grass ... believing the switch could prevent injuries similar to the one Aaron Rodgers suffered on Monday night.

Howell -- who took over the executive director position from DeMaurice Smith this offseason -- insisted on the swap out in a stern statement Wednesday morning.

"Moving all stadium fields to high quality natural grass surfaces is the easiest decision the NFL can make," Howell said.

"The players overwhelmingly prefer it and the data is clear that grass is simply safer than artificial turf."

Howell went on to say he knows the cost could be high for teams to change surfaces ... but noted "there is a bigger cost to everyone in our business if we keep losing our best players to unnecessary injuries."

He added that he thinks the move is possible because several stadiums will make the switch when they host World Cup games or big exhibition soccer games in the near future.

"This is worth the investment and it simply needs to change now," he said.

Howell isn't the only one who's made the call for the switch since Rodgers tore up his Achilles on artificial turf against the Buffalo Bills -- the quarterback's former teammate, David Bakhtiari, said Monday night, "How many more players have to get hurt on ARTIFICIAL TURF??!"

Warren Moon doesn't think Aaron Rodgers' Achilles tear will end the quarterback's career ... telling TMZ Sports he's betting the Jets star will make another run at things in 2024.

"Knowing Aaron Rodgers," the Hall of Famer said, "I don't think he wants to go out like this."

Rodgers blew out the tendon on just the fourth play of his Jets career Monday night ... and many have wondered if his time in the NFL is now over.

After all, he turns 40 in December ... and he spent a significant portion of this offseason already pondering retirement -- well before he was dealing with a serious leg injury.

But Moon thinks Aaron will get back on the gridiron eventually ... saying, "My gut tells me that he's probably going to try it one more time."

"Just because he feels like this isn't the way he wants to end his career," Moon added, "four plays into this season."

Moon anticipates it'll be about an eight-to-nine-month recovery for Rodgers ... which will mean he'll have plenty of time in the offseason to ramp up for one more go at things in the Big Apple.

In the meantime, Moon tells us if he were running the Jets ... he wouldn't tap a veteran like Matt Ryan or Carson Wentz to be the new starter -- saying NY should just run with Zach Wilson as its QB1.

Aaron Rodgers' first season with the Jets is over before it could ever take off -- the superstar quarterback suffered a torn Achilles in his first-ever game for New York, officially ending his 2023 campaign.

The team confirmed the devastating news on Tuesday ... announcing the 39-year-old Super Bowl champion will be sidelined for the rest of the season after an MRI revealed a complete tear in his left Achilles tendon.

Rodgers went down in the Jets' fourth offensive snap of Monday Night Football against Buffalo ... when Bills linebacker Leonard Floyd tackled him to the turf.

Initial x-rays came back negative ... and there was a small possibility Rodgers may have just had a high ankle sprain.

Unfortunately for Rodgers and Co., Tuesday's scans confirmed the worst.

Now, the once-Super Bowl hopefuls will turn to backup Zach Wilson ... in hopes of having a successful season without their star QB under center.

Rodgers has experienced numerous injuries throughout his career ... but this is by far the most serious, and many are wondering if he will be able to bounce back and return to his dominant ways.

Now that Aaron's out for the rest of the season with a torn Achilles, do you think it's the end of his football career? Vote below.

1:31 PM PT -- El entrenador de los Jets, Robert Saleh, abordó la lesión de Aaron Rodgers con los periodistas el martes, y aunque dijo que lo siente por el quarterback, deja claro que su equipo no va a renunciar a la temporada.

"No lo veo como un 'ay de mí para la organización", dijo Saleh. "Creo que los chicos están entusiasmados con la posibilidad de dar un paso adelante y continuar con lo que hemos estado trabajando. Pero mucha tristeza por Aaron".

Saleh agregó que Zach Wilson liderará al equipo en el futuro, y tiene mucha confianza en el joven jugador.

La primera temporada de Aaron Rodgers con los Jets ha terminado antes de que pudiera siquiera despegar. La superestrella sufrió un desgarro en su tendón de Aquiles en su primer juego para el equipo neoyorquino, terminando oficialmente su campaña 2023.

El equipo confirmó la devastadora noticia el martes, anunciando que el campeón del Super Bowl de 39 años estará fuera de juego por el resto de la temporada después de que una resonancia magnética revelara un desgarro completo en su tendón de Aquiles izquierdo

Rodgers cayó al suelo en el cuarto ataque ofensivo de los Jets en el Monday Night Football contra Buffalo, cuando el linebacker de los Bills, Leonard Floyd, lo derribó al césped.

Las radiografías iniciales fueron negativas, pero había una pequeña posibilidad de que Rodgers solo tuviera un esguince de tobillo alto.

Por desgracia para Rodgers y compañía, las exploraciones del martes confirmaron lo peor.

Ahora, los otrora aspirantes al Super Bowl recurrirán al suplente Zach Wilson... con la esperanza de tener una temporada exitosa sin su jugador estrella en el centro.

Patrick Mahomes learned the importance of punctuation while sharing his grief over Aaron Rodgers' injury on Monday ... clarifying he does not actually "hate that man" -- he just forgot to add a comma.

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar was quick to react to Rodgers' apparent ankle ailment while watching the New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills matchup ... going to his X account to address the incident.

"Hate that man… Praying for the best 🙏🏽"

Of course, upon first read, it comes across as Mahomes revealing his abhorrence for the four-time MVP ... but Patrick eventually realized his mistake and made use of the "edit" feature on the social media platform.

"Hate that, man… Praying for the best 🙏🏽"

Ah, much better.

Mahomes took the gaffe in stride ... joking, "Knew i was going to need that edit button on here one of these days 🤣"

Unfortunately for Jets fans, they're not laughing Tuesday morning ... as many fear, Rodgers could be out a significant amount of time to nurse his injury.

While the extent of it has not been announced, Jets staffers are reportedly losing sleep over the idea of being without Rodgers ... which would essentially end their chances of contending for a Super Bowl.

Patrick Mahomes aprendió la importancia de la puntuación al compartir su pena por la lesión de Aaron Rodgers el lunes, aclarando que en realidad no "odia a ese hombre", sino que solo se le olvidó añadir una coma.

La superestrella de los Kansas City Chiefs no tardó en reaccionar a la aparente dolencia de tobillo de Rodgers mientras veía el partido entre los New York Jets y los Buffalo Bills, yendo a su cuenta X para abordar el incidente.

"Odio a ese hombre... Rezando por lo mejor 🙏🏽" (Hate that man... Praying for the best).

Por supuesto, a la primera lectura, se entiende como si Mahomes estuviera revelando su aborrecimiento por el cuatro veces MVP, pero Patrick eventualmente se dio cuenta de su error e hizo uso de la función "editar" en la plataforma de medios sociales.

"Odio eso, hombre... Rezando por lo mejor 🙏🏽" (Hate that, man... Praying for the best).

Muchísimo mejor.

Mahomes se tomó su metedura de pata con calma, bromeando: "Sabía que iba a necesitar ese botón de edición uno de estos días 🤣".

Lamentablemente, los aficionados de los Jets no se están riendo este martes por la mañana. Como muchos temen, Rodgers podría estar fuera una buena cantidad de tiempo para cuidar de su lesión.

Si bien no se ha anunciado el alcance de esta, se informa que el personal de los Jets está tomándose la cabeza ante la idea de estar sin Rodgers, lo que esencialmente terminaría con sus posibilidades de pelear por un Super Bowl.

8:48 PM PT -- El entrenador de los Jets, Robert Saleh, acaba de reunirse con los miembros de los medios después de la improbable victoria de su equipo sobre los Bills, y dijo que Aaron Rodgers sufrió una lesión en el tendón de Aquiles y "no se ve bien".

6:15 PM PT -- Los New York Jets acaban de anunciar que Aaron Rodgers ha sido descartado para el resto del partido, ¿pero la buena noticia? Los rayos X dieron negativo.

Bueno ... esto no se ve nada bien.

La superestrella de la NFL, Aaron Rodgers, cayó con una aparente lesión durante el primer partido de su carrera contra los New York Jets en el Monday Night Football, convirtiendo su gran debut a una frenada brusca.

Rodgers estaba siendo exigido en numerosas ocasiones cuando los Jets iniciaron su primera ofensiva del partido contra los Buffalo Bills, con varios jugadores defensivos abriéndose camino hacia el backfield y derribándolo.

Pero a los seis minutos de juego, el #8 recibió un golpe de Leonard Floyd, ex jugador de primera ronda, que resultaría ser un duro golpe. Aunque inicialmente pudo ponerse de pie, volvió a sentarse en el césped con cara de preocupación.

Rodgers fue asistido fuera del campo por el personal médico y más tarde fue llevado en un carro mientras Zach Wilson se hacía cargo del bajo el centro.

El entrenador de los Jets Robert Saleh dijo al equipo de transmisión de ESPN que Rodgers parecía haberse lastimado el tobillo, aunque el alcance de la lesión aún se desconoce.

Será una gran decepción para los Jets si Rodgers se ve obligado a perderse tiempo. Como la nueva adquisición del equipo campeón del Super Bowl, el jugador tenía a toda la liga esperando por él esta temporada.

La historia sigue en desarrollo...

Well ... this sucks.

NFL superstar Aaron Rodgers went down with an apparent injury during the first game of his New York Jets career on Monday Night Football ... bringing his big debut to a screeching halt.

Rodgers was getting drilled on numerous occasions as the Jets started their first offensive drive of the matchup against the Buffalo Bills ... with several defensive players making their way to the backfield and knocking him down.

But just 6 minutes into the game, #8 took a hit from former first-round pick Leonard Floyd that would prove to be a major blow ... 'cause even though he was initially able to get back up on his feet, he sat back down on the grass with a concerned look on his face.

Rodgers was then assisted off the field alongside medical staffers ... and was later taken away on a cart as Zach Wilson took over under center.

Jets coach Robert Saleh told ESPN's broadcast team Rodgers appeared to have hurt his ankle ... although the extent of the injury is unknown at this time.

It will be a huge bummer for the Jets if Rodgers is forced to miss time ... as the team's acquisition of the Super Bowl champ had the entire league expecting a turnaround this season.

The Dallas Cowboys' win streak over New York teams won't just stop at one ... at least, that's according to Drew Pearson, who tells TMZ Sports his old squad is going to beat up on the Jets this weekend.

Pearson made the claim just hours before Aaron Rodgers was forced out of Monday night's win over the Buffalo Bills with an Achilles injury ... but regardless of who's under center in NY, the Hall of Famer seemed super confident in his prediction.

"[New York will] bring the circus with 'Hard Knocks' and all that," he said.  "They're coming to see us -- but we're going to send them home hard knocked. Knocked out!"

Of course, Pearson is biased -- he played all 11 years of his NFL career with the Cowboys and he's remained a huge fan even in retirement ... but he said Dallas' 40-0 win over the Giants was just that impressive.

In fact, the ex-wide receiver called the victory "one of the most impressive performances I've seen from the Dallas Cowboys in a long time."

Pearson praised the Cowboys' efforts in all three phases of the game -- offense, defense and special teams -- calling it "a total team performance."

Pearson, however, isn't ready to dub Dallas the Super Bowl favorites just yet ... saying the improvement of the other three teams in the NFC East means the Cowboys will have to bring it every week going forward.

DraftKings issued a mea culpa on Monday morning ... after the gambling site posted a 9/11-themed parlay that many viewed as insensitive.

The bet that fans could place money on was called "Never Forget" ... and it allowed people to wager on if the New York Mets, New York Yankees and New York Jets would all win on Monday -- the 22nd anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in NY.

Immediately after it was posted, though, it was ripped by social media users ... who called it tone-deaf and crass.

In wake of the backlash hours later, DraftKings pulled it from its site ... and issued an apology.

"We sincerely apologize for the featured parlay that was shared briefly in commemoration of 9/11," a DK spokesperson said in a statement to the Boston Globe. We respect the significance of this day for our country and especially for the familys of those who were directly affected.”

DraftKings emitió un mea culpa el lunes por la mañana, después de que el sitio de apuestas publicara una apuesta temática del 11-S que muchos consideraron insensible.

La apuesta se llamaba "Nunca Olvides" y permitía a los aficionados apostar a si los Met, los Yankees o los Jets de Nueva York, ganarían el lunes, cuando se conmemora el 22 aniversario de los ataques del 11 de septiembre de 2001 en Nueva York.

Inmediatamente después de su publicación, los usuarios de las redes sociales empezaron a tacharla de insensible y grosera.

A raíz de esta reacción DraftKings lo retiró de su sitio horas más tarde y emitió una disculpa.

"Nos disculpamos sinceramente por el parlay (apuesta) destacado que se compartió brevemente en conmemoración del 11-S", dijo un portavoz del sitio en un comunicado al Boston Globe. Respetamos el significado de este día para nuestro país y especialmente para las familias de aquellos que fueron directamente afectados."