EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — In a while upcoming 8 p.m. ET, Pristine York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers emerged from the tunnel waving an American flag — the closing participant presented ahead of a boisterous community of 83,000 at MetLife Stadium. The construction seemed like a vast nightclub, with a system pumping smoke into the wind and enthusiasts waving inexperienced LED lighting fixtures.

This was once intended to be the beginning of a distinct season, with Rodgers — a age Corridor of Famer — lifting the star-crossed franchise to untouched heights.

Twenty-five mins nearest, he was once helped off the ground by way of two participants of the Jets’ scientific group. Identical to that, the Tremendous Bowl dream were significantly compromised. It came about simplest 4:04 into the sport — 244 seconds. It came about at the Jets’ fourth snap.

At the fateful play games, Rodgers was once crooked into the field on a sack by way of Buffalo Expenses defensive finish Leonard Floyd, struggling what the group fears is a vital Achilles’ shock. Later on, professor Robert Saleh stated the Jets be expecting an MRI Tuesday to substantiate their worst fears.

Nearest 5 months of buildup and breathless hype, it seems that to have ended ahead of he may entire a go.

For the Jets, who’ve a tortured historical past of quarterback calamities, this was once eerily paying homage to the 1999 opener. With Tremendous Bowl aspirations that month, quarterback Vinny Testaverde suffered a season-ending Achilles’ rupture in the second one quarter. They completed 8-8.

Testaverde was once in attendance Monday evening, as he served as an honorary captain. He watched as a visitor in proprietor Woody Johnson’s non-public field.

“Seeing Aaron get hurt definitely brought back some bad memories,” Testaverde stated in a textual content to ESPN right through the sport. “Hopefully, it’s not a serious injury.”

Boomer Esiason, every other former Jets quarterback who witnessed his proportion of heartless twists with the group, texted from his house, “Totally deflated and sick to my stomach.”

Every other ex-Jets quarterback, Neil O’Donnell, who suffered a freakish, season-ending calf shock in 1996, was once within the stadium, gazing from Category 132.

The Jets beat the Expenses in extra time, 22-16, but it surely was once overshadowed by way of what most likely will probably be a season-ending shock to Rodgers. His Jets teammates and coaches and Expenses avid gamers handover a better take a look at one of the crucial worst moments in Jets historical past:

Laken Tomlinson, left cover: “I mean, when he went down, we tried to pull him up and he went back down and we saw trainers coming out. At that point, it was a shock moment.”

(Tomlinson, talking in entrance of his attic, began to yelp. He wiped his seeing, attempted to compose himself and placed on his shades.)

“Sorry. Sorry. This is the worst part of the game.”

Alijah Vera-Tucker, proper cover: “As we were trying to lift him up or talk to him about getting up, he was just like, ‘No. I’m not getting up.’ Any time a player says that, you know it’s probably not good.”

D.J. Reed, cornerback: “At first, I didn’t know what it was. When I didn’t see him in the next series, it was like everybody on the side was wondering, ‘Is he OK? What happened?’ You have to move on because you have a game to play, but at the same time, we were a little rattled on the sideline — the defense was. We want our quarterback to be healthy.”

Robert Saleh, professor: “When they told me what they think it was, I just recall the look on Aaron’s face before he went and took his knee. I pretty much knew in the first half [that it was an Achilles’ injury].”

The play games was once out of sync. It was once designed to be a snappy go, and is the reason why left take on Duane Brown attempted to explode a short oppose on Floyd. For some explanation why, Rodgers held the ball, extending the play games.

Brown: “I went to cut the defensive end. He played it well and he got home and Aaron got hit … I have to execute the cut better.”

Vera-Tucker: “It’s a three-step drop, get the ball out. I’m not sure what happened during the play; all I know is that he got tackled and didn’t get up.”

Saleh: “It was kind of an off-schedule play. The play extended further than the timing of the play, which at that point the quarterback … Duane can’t look at that and say it was his fault. You fight until the end of the down, but when it extends the way that it does, it’s just a very, very unfortunate play.”

Floyd: “From my perspective, the offensive lineman had cut-block me and Aaron was, he still had the ball. I’m like, ‘Aaron, please still hold the ball.’ And I sacked him, I guess he got hurt. I didn’t realize he got hurt until later in the game when he didn’t come back in, but it felt good to make a sack for the team at that time.”

Brown: “It just sucks.”

Vera-Tucker: “[Brown] is a little emotional, as anyone would be in that situation. At the end of the day, it’s not his fault. He’s just following the playcall.”

Breece Corridor, working again: “I was just kind of in shock.”

C.J. Mosley, linebacker: “Man, it’s really unfortunate, especially the way it happened. The sack didn’t look too crazy.”

Dion Dawkins, Expenses take on: “I was kind of upset. I don’t want to see nobody get hurt, and I want to see the best players on the field. Aaron Rodgers is a Hall of Fame player. I want to see him on the field. I don’t want nobody to be hurt. It was scary, I saw him get up and he started limping and then he went down, and I was like ‘Aww s—.'”

Nearest being helped off the ground, Rodgers was once carted ailing the sideline towards the midfield tunnel to the attic room. He were given out and limped during the tunnel in what most likely was once his 2023 adieu. A number of avid gamers described an emotional scene within the attic room, with all of the group accumulating round Rodgers and expressing smartly needs.

Zach Wilson, quarterback: “The whole team went up to him, so really I just kind of went in there and said, ‘I love you, man.’ I didn’t ask him any questions, just wanted to show him that I love him.”

Garrett Wilson, huge receiver: “I just wanted him to know I love him. We’re going to do what we can. He’s special. The impact he’s had on this team in a short time is special … He didn’t say anything back. He didn’t need to.”

Brown (tone cracking): “I talked to him at halftime … I told him I love him.”

Randall Cobb, huge receiver (Rodgers’ closest pal at the group): “I really just want to get out of here, so I can call him and talk to him and check on him.”

Corridor: “I’m happy we got the win, but I’d rather have that guy healthy.”

Garrett Wilson: Mentioned my devotion for him and stated, I’ve were given to roll now.’ That’s the truth of the sport. I’d be mendacity if I didn’t say it was once at the back of my head the left-overs of the sport.”

Reed: “It’s soccer, guy. Soccer is unbalanced. Some belongings you simply can’t fathom.”

— ESPN newshounds Tim Keown and Alaina Getzenberg contributed to this record.