Aaron Rodgers believes he’ll only improve after making his long-awaited NFL comeback on Monday night for the Jets.
After tearing his Achilles in Week 1 last season, Rodgers played his first complete game for New York as the Jets lost 32-19 in San Francisco.
While the result wasn’t what he was hoping for, he was understandably pleased to get through the game unscathed – and sees himself being able to ‘really let loose’ before too long.
‘Yeah, my body held up. I feel like I’m gonna keep on getting more comfortable out there,’ he said on the Pat McAfee Show.
‘Meaning the more I play, the more potential for scrambles could happen with each game, where I get even more confident and really let loose. But I feel 100 percent [confident], it’s just maybe I can do a little bit more every single week.’
Aaron Rodgers made his return to the field for the New York Jets on Monday night
He expressed optimism that he’ll continue ‘getting more comfortable’ the more he plays
Rodgers added about his Achilles, ‘I actually felt good… I only took two shots. I took a hit from an interior guy, I got sacked one time – that was it. So I felt like the pass protection was very nice all night.’
Rodgers completed 13 of 21 passes for 167 yards and a touchdown, while also throwing an interception in the third quarter.
It wasn’t a quite a vintage performance from the four-time MVP, but there were some good throws and he spoke about his ‘gratitude’ of even being back on the field at all.
‘It’s such a long road, I thought about all the different things that happened over the last year,’ he said of his thoughts early in the game. ‘Tomorrow is a year since the injury – a lot’s changed in my life in the last year. So I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
Rodgers added that he was texting with former teammates Randall Cobb and (McAfee Show co-host) A.J. Hawk while on the team bus prior to the game.
‘Just a lot of things were hitting me – [my] 20th season, all the rehab that happened, all the ups and downs of the last year.
‘…And the anthem hit and I just had a big calm that just came over, and all the anxiety around getting hit and staying healthy left my body, and I just went out there and felt at ease about being back out there.’
Rodgers will have a chance to continue his progress against the Titans this weekend.
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