Aaron Rodgers Talks 'Total Relief' After Avoiding Serious Injury in Jets vs. Vikings

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers faced an injury scare in Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Vikings, but he was quickly able to return to the field and finish the game.

During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, Rodgers explained the dread he felt when he initially went down, as it conjured up memories of the torn Achilles he suffered four plays into the 2023 season opener.

"There was a split second where I remembered what happened last year when I got up, because every player's worst fear, I think, is being carted off the field," Rodgers said. "And for me, having been hurt a handful of times, I always want to just get off the field. Let me get off the field, if I've gotta take a cart, I just don't want to take it from the field. Just get me off the field."

Rodgers appeared to suffer a left knee injury after taking a sack midway through the third quarter. He appeared in pain on the ground before walking to the sideline under his own power.

However, when New York received a first down after a roughing penalty was called on the Vikings for making contact with Jets punter Thomas Morstead, the 40-year-old made his way back to the field without receiving medical attention and led a drive that ended with a field goal.

Rodgers added that his fears washed away when he found that the injury wasn't nearly as severe as last year's torn Achilles.

"And when I stood up last year and my heel hit the ground, the dread that filled my mind was, damn, that's bad. And so, as bad as I was feeling in that moment, I just wanted to stand up, and in that moment, there was the memory of that feeling and when my foot hit the ground, there was a total relief that came over me as I realized, okay, I don't think anything's broken, let me just walk off here," he said.

Rodgers and the Jets will be trying to end a two-game skid when they host the Buffalo Bills in a battle for AFC East supremacy on Monday Night Football.