As the NFL world, including fans of the New York Jets, held their collective breaths in watching Aaron Rodgers getting carted off, NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning joined in on reacting to Rodgers’ significant injury.
What Happened to Aaron Rodgers, and What Was Peyton Manning’s Reaction?
Rodgers was twisted by Buffalo Bills edge rusher Leonard Floyd during the first quarter on a sack attempt — and that came during his first possession as a Jet.
But, during the telecast of the “Manning Cast” featuring Manning and younger brother Eli on ESPN 2, both Super Bowl winning passers noticed that something was off with Rodgers after the play.
“He’s down, he’s down,” Peyton Manning said, while the two-time Super Bowl winner with the New York Giants Eli had a change in facial expression and can be heard saying “oh no.”
Manning right away noticed it was Rodgers’ ankle.
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Then, after watching the slow motion of the replay, the two-time Super Bowl winner with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos Peyton Manning later reacted with a “holy…cow” response in looking back at the play.
Peyton and Eli react to Aaron Rodgers' apparent injury. pic.twitter.com/sykQOyKjpk
— ESPN (@espn) September 12, 2023
Fans Give Strong Reactions to Rodgers Injury, Plus New Jets’ Super Bowl Odds Revealed
Radio personality Zach Gelb was among the other notable reactions of the Rodgers injury. And his reaction came while he was on air.
“There’s not a lot of times I’m stunned doing this, but I’m stunned right now,” Gelb began. “Everyone this offseason kind of in some ways said ‘Oh, how is this going to go wrong for the Jets? How is this going to be the same old Jets? And there’s just some fan bases that are cursed…and the Jets are cursed. I can’t even imagine this feeling right now.”
Gelb added: “This is an all-time nightmare. If you’re a Jets fan, I feel so sorry for you. That’s sickening. Absolutely sickening.”
I was on the @CBSSportsRadio while the Aaron Rodgers injury happened and I couldn't believe what I was watching. pic.twitter.com/aACt3o7rD8
— Zach Gelb (@ZachGelb) September 12, 2023
Another radio personality, Paul “Boy Green” Esden of The Score 1260, also chimed in with a “no man noooo” at the sight of Rodgers being carted off.
#Jets QB Aaron Rodgers is being carted off the field… no man noooo pic.twitter.com/xTFyucvUKd
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) September 12, 2023
Other NFL fans went with movie clips to describe the current feeling around the Jets. And that includes this famous clip from the Adam Sandler 1998 hit film “The Waterboy.”
Another NFL fan took to X to ask this question: “So the Aaron Rodgers era in NY is over already?” With a laughing emoji.
But then, fantasy football analyst Andy Holloway proposed this idea: Jets bring in an old rival of theirs and aim to coax him out of retirement: Tom Brady.
Who says no pic.twitter.com/JKDDW9RC19
— Andy Holloway (@andyholloway) September 12, 2023