Aaron Rodgers shares regret about play that ended first Jets season

Former New York Jets quarterback and current NFL analyst Boomer Esiason is among those who suggested last September that Aaron Rodgers could have avoided the torn Achilles that cost him most of the 2023 campaign had Rodgers simply thrown to wide-open wide receiver Garrett Wilson instead of attempting to roll away from a Buffalo Bills pass-rusher.

Rodgers discussed the play in question while speaking with author Ian O'Connor for the upcoming book, "Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers."

"I felt like pre-snap that the safety was going to come down, so I think I played it all a little bit too quick," Rodgers explained, as shared by Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. "And I was thinking about getting it backside to the under [receiver]. So, I probably should have just thrown it right to Garrett."

Of course, it's possible and maybe even likely Rodgers' Achilles was a ticking timebomb considering he didn't take a direct hit to that part of his body on New York's fourth offensive snap of the campaign. Without the future Hall of Famer in the lineup, the Jets managed to get to 4-3 before they endured a five-game losing streak that essentially ensured they'd miss the playoffs for a 13th consecutive season.

"Garrett really flattened off his route, and I thought if he goes vertical at all…because I thought [safety Micah Hyde] was going to crash down on that," Rodgers added for the book. "So, I kinda looked left, and I was going to come back and throw the under to the right. I almost threw it to [wide receiver Allen Lazard]."

The morning after Rodgers went down with his injury, The Athletic's Dianna Russini and Zack Rosenblatt reported that the 40-year-old "didn't like the play-calls involving" the type of cut-blocks utilized by veteran offensive tackle Duane Brown against the Bills. Rodgers acknowledged for the book that he simply "should have thrown it to Garrett" and moved on to the next down.

Rodgers is on track to start New York's Week 1 game at the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 9. One wonders if he'll be more cautious that Monday night than he was on Sept. 11 of last year.