Aaron Rodgers admits he thought ‘this is it’ immediately after tearing Achilles

Aaron Rodgers asked his friends for help once he got home

That damn fourth snap. Rodgers described it as “one of the most heartbreaking nights of my life, when I played four plays. Talk about an ego death.”

In the interview, Rodgers revealed other, still-raw details. He flew back to Calfornia, where he lives in the offseason. He told them “I need help.” He added “tis is going to be really, tough. I just need you all to be there for me on the tough days when I stop believing it’s possible.’”

Rodgers had the surgery and within weeks, started dropping hints that he could return later in the season. The Jets did activate him so that he could start practicing with his fellow teammates. But he never played. While his recovery was quick, it still was ongoing. The Jets organization wasn’t going to risk their quarterback to reinjury. Rodgers didn’t want that, either, especially with his new team out of the playoff hunt.

These days, Rodgers and the Jets are a few weeks away from the start of OTAs. Mini camp follows in June, then there’s the opening of training camp in July.

“Football is my happy place,” Rodgers said. “That’s where I feel most in control of my athletic ability. I missed that last year, I really, really missed it. My heart was broken. I’m excited about taking the field one more time and — not life or death — going to battle with my guys.”