Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon in his debut for the New York Jets on Monday and will miss the remainder of the NFL season. Still, no pity is to be expected from Boomer Esiason. In his eyes, the newcomer ultimately brought his injury upon himself.
On his radio show “Boomer And Gio” on Tuesday, Esiason showed no understanding for Rodgers’ hesitation in releasing the ball before the collision at the start of the game.
“It’s a cut block. Aaron has his man. He’s wide open. Just throw! I don’t know why he didn’t throw,” complained Esiason, who wore the New York Jets jersey from 1993 to 1995.
In a cut block, the offensive tackle forces the opposing edge rusher to put their hands down so that the quarterback can throw a quick pass up the middle or to the side.
In this case, however, the signal caller has little time because if an onrushing defender gets through, there is a risk of either a hit or a sack.
NFL: Esiason compares Aaron Rodgers to Tom Brady
On Monday, in the game against the Buffalo Bills (22:16), Rodgers actually hesitated too long before throwing and was therefore brought down with serious consequences by Leonard Floyd. A misbehavior that, according to Esiason, sets Rodgers apart from another NFL icon.
“I’m talking about Tom Brady. There’s a reason why he lasted so long. He called a play. He knew where he wanted to go with it, didn’t hold on to the ball for too long and threw,” enthused the 62nd -year-old from the seven-time Super Bowl winner.
Brady ended his NFL career, during which he was largely spared from serious injuries, last February at the age of 45. Rodgers, however, will only celebrate his 40th anniversary in December. Whether he will return to the pitch after tearing his Achilles tendon remains unclear, at least for the time being.