Former NFL quarterback Sean Salisbury, who is currently the afternoon host at Houston’s KBME Sportstalk 790, has experienced knee injuries throughout his playing career, including during his time at Southern Cal and across an NFL career that spanned nearly a decade.
While he’s fortunately never suffered an Achilles injury himself, he recently discussed the advancements in knee surgery and how that could indirectly impact Aaron Rodgers’ situation on the Short and to the Point podcast with host Jessica Kleinschmidt.
Salisbury contended that Achilles injuries are worse than suffering any sort of knee injury, as we’ve tended to see with some of these “freakish” athletes, who have recovered from a significant ACL injury in 7-8 months.
“When I hear that Aaron Rodgers says he’s gonna play this year — I love Aaron…Along with [Dan] Marino, I’ve never seen, maybe Joe Namath early, I’m talking about release and quicker…the way the ball comes out, ” Salisbury said, expressing deep admiration for the New York Jets quarterback.
However, the 60-year-old Salisbury can’t fathom a situation that Rodgers returns under center this season —.
“There is no way that guy takes a snap this year,” added Salisbury. “With an Achilles, I’ve never seen a guy in my life — and I’ve been around — come back four months after an Achilles injury. If he does, he’s even more freaky than I thought. But the ability, because the thing about it is that feeling, it’s like when you ride motorcycles, you’re a motorcycle jumper; you’re jumping out of a plane, a paratrooper. You gotta practice somewhere…The same thing with this. The first movement after you’re injured, is that confidence-getter. Like can I make that quick twitch without blowing out again?
“Even though doctors tell you that you can, there’s that feeling of man, that tissue…and can I do it? So, I think he’s gonna come back fully healthy and ready to go [in] 2024. I can’t fathom — and those poor Jets with that piss poor offense they gotta deal with, because they’re a Super Bowl team with him.”
Salisbury continued, pointing out that as “freakish” of an athlete Rodgers is, the ability to have a sense of urgency and make bang-bang plays could be a problem until the 39-year-old quarterback is fully healthy again.
“Look at Kevin Durant in the NBA. He had his [surgery]. He’s recovered,” Salisbury said. “It just takes a little longer, and I personally think it takes longer than the knee does. I think it’s a very, very difficult injury. I don’t think there’s a chance in hell he plays this year, but I expect him fully back and being in an MVP conversation next year in 2024; it just sucks that we had to see it at the stage of the game. Those are bad injuries.”
Kleinschmidt asked Salisbury to tap into that mentality of watching your team play so poorly offensively in your absence. And in putting himself in Rodgers’s shoes, Salisbury said he’d imagine like us mere mortals, you’re rooting on the guys like Zach Wilson and now Tim Boyle, who will start on Black Friday against the Miami Dolphins.
“There’s probably that human nature that says, ‘They can’t win without me,’ meaning Aaron Rodgers, and he’s damn near correct,” Salisbury added. “They’re not winning much without him — and knowing his teammates crave him. I’m sure he’s talking with Zach on a regular basis…he knows his job’s not in jeopardy. As I was kidding, you’re trying to get these guys feeling good heading through this year and into 2024, because they have a Super Bowl defense, and Garrett Wilson can play and Breece Hall. They’re loaded with talent, and I like Robert Saleh.”
Unfortunately what the Jets offense currently can’t mask, is what Rodgers can do as a future Hall of Famer. According to Salisbury, Rodgers can make up for bad calls called by the offensive coordinator (Nathaniel Hackett), because he has the ability to fix a coach’s mistake.
That’s why it has to be all the more painful for Rodgers to watch the team’s woeful offense.
“I think it’s gotta be brutal on him, especially all the offseason expectations going into this year, and then into the opener with all that hype to have that happen,” he said of Rodgers. “It sucks for everybody, even the teams that gotta play against him. Although I’m sure the [AFC] East is like, ‘Thank Goodness I don’t have to deal with that guy this year.’ But, I think he’s one of those guys that loves it when you say he can’t. Some people say they do; I actually think he cherishes it, feeds off of, ‘Oh, I can’t? I’ll see you in March. Oh, I can’t? I’ll be in the MVP talk. Oh, I can’t? I’m gonna take the Jets to a Super Bowl.”
Salisbury doesn’t doubt anything Rodgers does, but it’s hard for guys to sit and watch, pointing out that Tom Brady and Greg Olsen likely feel the same.
“You never get to do it again once you walk away from it,” the ex-quarterback said. “And the competitive fire that makes Rodgers and Brady and these guys who leave (or retire) great, is the very same thing that drives them crazy because you can’t grasp it. You feel helpless because you can’t put your hand on the football and go do it. Brady’s retired; Rodgers is hurt. I’m sure it sucks to have to watch it, but I’m sure deep down, where people don’t talk about it, in his soul, he’s thinking, ‘Wait ’til they get a load of me in 2024,’ which would be human nature and understandable.”
While Salisbury feels bad watching New York’s offense play, he doesn’t want anyone feeling too bad. That’s because he believes when Rodgers is back and has a fully healthy season, it’s going to be “brutal” to face.
We’ll have to see when Rodgers actually returns. But when he does, Salisbury thinks he’ll have something to prove, yet again.
Short and to the Point with Jessica Kleinschmidt is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.
