New York Jets star Aaron Rodgers obviously didn’t have the season many expected of him coming into the season, suffering a season-ending torn Achilles in the first game of the year. But that seemingly doesn’t mean that he didn’t gain the respect and admiration of his teammates.
Rodgers made it clear all year that he would attempt to streamline his recovery process to return this season. While he wasn’t able to do that, his teammates clearly think that he had the best interest of the team throughout the year.
According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Rodgers was voted the most inspirational player for the 2023 season by his teammates.
Story: Aaron Rodgers voted most inspirational Jet by teammates. #Jets https://t.co/KV62IxtcVJ
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) January 5, 2024
Say what you will about Rodgers, but it is pretty incredible that Rodgers was even able to return to the practice field for the Jets, which he did last month.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh spoke with Cimini on Friday, where he expressed how he wholeheartedly agreed with this decision from his team.
“I’ve said it a million times. He loves his teammates, and his teammates love him,” Saleh said. “He’s so intentional with how he approaches everybody in the building. He’s very thoughtful in the way he does things, and he’s a tremendous human. He’s really well deserving of this award.”
Veteran left tackle Duane Brown echoed these sentiments while talking about Rodgers.
“It’s inspiring, man,” Brown told Cimini. “That’s one of the most difficult injuries to come back from. To see his recovery, even without being on the field, has been remarkable. And the attitude he has. I’m sure the day-to-day isn’t easy, but he doesn’t complain about it. He keeps everything light and the mood light. He has fun out there. He’s just very youthful in his approach. Like I said, it’s inspiring, it’s motivating, and it’s unprecedented.”
[ESPN]
