Aaron Rodgers says he feared Achilles injury would end career - ESPN

Reflecting on what he called a «wild year,» New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers admitted he harbored dark thoughts in the immediate aftermath of his season-ending Achilles tear on Sept. 11.

«I was really thinking, 'This is it. You don't come back from this injury,'» Rodgers, 40, said in a two-hour interview on the «I Can Fly» podcast, which dropped Tuesday.

Rodgers, who got choked up at one point, described a roller coaster of emotions. He said the trade to the Jets, after 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, restored his passion for football. He called his Jets debut one of the best moments of his career — and the worst.

His night began when he ran out with the American flag during the pregame introductions, which he called «one of the highest highs in my sporting career.» Minutes later, on the Jets' first possession of the season, he was carted off with a season-ending injury.

«I had this incredible offseason experience in a new city, a new town, with new teammates, a new organization, an owner for the first time, and really falling back in love with the game that I first fell in love with when I was 5 years old,» he said. «It was absolutely beautiful and special and deep and rich and yummy, and just incredible.

»And then, one of the most heartbreaking nights of my life, when I played four plays. Talk about an ego death."

Rodgers tried to return late in the season — he actually practiced on a limited basis — but his comeback was aborted when the Jets (7-10) fell out of contention. Nearly seven months removed from surgery, the four-time MVP is expected to participate in OTA practices next month, according to coach Robert Saleh.

Reflecting on the day after his injury, when he flew home to California with a few