Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty
The New York Jets entered their season opener against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football filled with dreams of a deep playoff run, perhaps even a Super Bowl.
It took just 4 offensive snaps for those dreams to turn into nightmares.
The Jets biggest offseason acquisition, future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, tore his Achilles tendon on his 4th play in a Jets uniform. He attempted one pass, a throw away. His 2023 season lasted 72 seconds. That’s how long it took for the Jets to go from a potential Super Bowl pick, to one that will again have to suffer through the horror that is Zach Wilson: QB1.
For the Colts, there is a lesson to be learned from this. Protect your quarterback, or else.
The Colts, of course, had no dreams of the playoffs or Super Bowls, at least not for this season. This year is all about the development of Anthony Richardson; for him to develop, he needs to play. An injury, like the one that Rodgers suffered, would be a massive blow and put a pause on a rebuild that is already several years overdue.
The Colts and their fans almost got a glimpse of what that would be like in the loss to the Jaguars. Richardson, who had gotten banged up earlier in the game, attempted to run it in for a touchdown in the closing seconds of the game, and took a shot for his efforts. He was clearly in pain, and would be replaced by Gardner Minshew, who finished out the game.
Richardson appears to be alright; the Colts reported he suffered a bone bruise. Still, the sight of Richardson on the ground, in pain, was a scary sight for the Colts and their fans. With all due respect to Minshew, who is a fine quarterback and gives a fantastic interview, one of the few draws for Colts this season is Richardson. If he goes down, fan interest will go out the window.
Rodgers and Richardson are two very different quarterbacks. Rodgers turns 40 in December, and while he can run, he’s never really been considered a running quarterback. A huge part of Richardson’s game, especially for this year, is his running ability. There’s no way to protect him completely, but the Colts need to do everything they can to try, and also to emphasize to him the importance of protecting himself.
Otherwise, Colts fans might be in for some incredible disappointment, much like fans of Gang Green find themselves dealing with now.
During Tuesday’s edition of The Ride With JMV, John spoke to Brad Spielberger of PFF. They discussed the injury to Rodgers, the Colts and their running back situation, and more! Listen to that conversation and more below, and tune into The Ride With JMV weekdays from 3-6pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan!
