Jets not planning to shut down Aaron Rodgers yet despite injuries, will start vs. Seahawks
Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said he didn't know anything about reports that Rodgers has been refusing medical tests offered by the team
Aaron Rodgers, at least for now, is still the New York Jets’ starting quarterback.
Rodgers, despite the Jets’ struggles and his apparent injuries in recent weeks, will "absolutely" be the team’s starting quarterback on Sunday in their game against the Seattle Seahawks. Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said Monday that Rodgers is the healthiest he’s been in the past month coming off their bye week, and the team isn’t yet considering shutting him down for the rest of the season.
"All I can say — and you'd have to ask Aaron if he's fully healthy — but he's better off today than he's been as of late," Ulbrich said, via ESPN. "So he's definitely feeling healthier than he has for probably the past month. And a healthy Aaron Rodgers is an Aaron Rodgers we all love. So I'm excited about what that looks like."
Ulbrich also denied knowing anything about reports that Rodgers has been resisting medical scans offered by the Jets. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported earlier this week that Rodgers didn’t want to “reveal the severity of his injuries out of fear of having to come off the field,” which is why he apparently has denied the medical scans.
While Ulbrich didn’t say the report was inaccurate, he insisted he knew nothing about it.
"News to me," Ulbrich said.
This season has not gone well for Rodgers or the Jets, who are now committed to a full rebuild after firing both their head coach and general manager. The Jets sit at just 3-8 headed into Sunday’s game, and they’ve lost seven of their last eight. Rodgers has thrown for 2,442 yards with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season, his first full one with the Jets after he went down with an Achilles injury just four plays into his first game with the organization last season.
The 40-year-old has dealt with numerous injuries this season, too. He sustained a knee injury, a “significant” hamstring injury and a low ankle sprain, though he’s played through all of them. Rodgers has been described as “banged up” by Rapoport, which is a very general term, but it’s unclear how severe those injuries actually are — especially if Rodgers is indeed refusing to undergo testing.
While Rodgers’ future with the organization isn’t clear, and the team is all but certain to miss the playoffs this season, Rodgers will take the field on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. What happens next, for both him and the Jets as a whole, is still anybody’s guess.