Aaron Rodgers thought of Kobe Bryant after tearing his Achilles

The New York Jets had a great deal of excitement and hype surrounding them going into the 2023 NFL season after trading for future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers during the offseason.

All of that excitement and hype vanished minutes into their first game when Rodgers went down with a torn Achilles. He will be out for the year, and the 39-year-old’s career seems in jeopardy.

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He revealed while on “The Pat McAfee Show” that shortly after suffering the injury, he thought about late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and how he responded after suffering the same ailment.

"I knew that Kobe Bryant had done his Achilles and I thought about him on Monday night..

I have a friendship going back many years with Dr. Neal ElAttrache and I texted him from the locker room asking how quickly we could get this done" ~ @AaronRodgers12 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/tg1SqAsc3q

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 15, 2023

Bryant tore his Achilles late in the 2012-13 season at age 34. As Rodgers noted, he asked Dr. ElAttrache to perform surgery on him the following day.

The five-time NBA champion returned to the Lakers the next season in early December, just eight months after suffering the injury. However, it was the beginning of the end of his storied career. He played poorly and suffered other injuries before retiring at the end of the 2015-16 campaign.

Of course, Bryant ended his career in the best way possible, given the circumstances, with a 60-point outburst in his final game.

LeBron James wished Rodgers well following his injury

While Rodgers has gained a reputation in some circles over the last couple of years as a diva, he has received a decent amount of sympathy following his injury.

Current Lakers superstar LeBron James helped out by taking to Instagram to wish him a speedy recovery.

"Damn man!! That hurt. 😔 Get well ASAP 8! 🙏🏾✊🏾👑"

LeBron James sends his best wishes to Aaron Rodgers on his IG story. pic.twitter.com/1QhdAbjYx6

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 13, 2023

While the technology behind the surgery and rehab following a torn Achilles has greatly improved over the years, one has to seriously wonder if Rodgers, a four-time NFL regular season MVP winner, will have anything left if and when he returns to the field.