3 FOOTBALL INJURIES THAT CHANGED THE GAME Aaron Rodgers, Drew Bledsoe, and Beyond!
On Sept. 11, 2023, a game between the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills changed the NFL season
— and perhaps the league’s future — forever. Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers was about to pass when Buffalo Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd appeared from nowhere. He tackled Rodgers to the turf. During the play, Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon. It was Rodgers’ first and last game of the season with the Jets, a tragedy considering the team had just agreed to pay him $75 million over two years. Rodgers’ injury pushed backup QB Zach Wilson into the spotlight as the Jets starting quarterback. It also kicked off a debate about the dangers of artificial turf in football stadiums that will likely reshape the 2023-2024 season and beyond.
internal bleeding. Bledsoe nearly died, and Brady, a little-known rookie, stepped up to
replace him. Brady proved to be so good that he held on to the top spot even after Bledsoe returned to the team eight weeks later.
A few years before Bledsoe’s downfall, something similar happened to St. Louis Rams quarterback Trent Green. San Diego Chargers safety Rodney Harrison took Green down at the knees during a preseason game in 1999. On the tackle, Green tore two ligaments in his left knee, a season-ending injury that opened up the quarterback spot for Kurt Warner.
Rodgers’ injury wasn’t the first time a single tackle altered the league’s future. Quarterback Tom Brady — the winningest player in NFL history
and a seven-time Super Bowl champ — only got his start because Drew Bledsoe, the New England Patriots’ starting quarterback at the time, sustained an injury in 2001.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame calls what happened next a “Cinderella Story.” Warner led the league with 41 touchdowns, passed for 4,353 yards, became that year’s NFL MVP, and took the team to the Super Bowl.
Bledsoe was charging toward a first down when Jets linebacker Mo Lewis plowed into him, tearing a blood vessel in his chest and causing massive
NFL history is littered with these stories, and Rodgers’ injury could kick off another one. Keep a close eye on the Jets in the coming years to watch history in action.
CHICKEN, LEEK, AND BLUE CHEESE PILAF
PUZZLE BREAK
INSPIRED BY BBCGOODFOOD.COM
INGREDIENTS •
2 1/2 cups water
• • • • •
1 leek, thinly sliced
• • • • •
1/2 cup brown basmati rice 2 tsp vegetable bouillon powder
2 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 cup frozen peas
1 bay leaf
4 walnut halves, broken
1 tsp grapeseed oil
1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
2 skinless chicken breasts, chopped
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large pot, add water, rice, bouillon powder, and bay leaf. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat oil and stir-fry chicken over medium-high heat until just cooked. Remove from pan, then fry leek until soft. Add zucchini, stir-fry for a few minutes more, then add peas. 3. When the rice is cooked, add it and any liquid from the pot to the vegetables. Return chicken to the pan, then cover and cook for 5 minutes more. Stir in walnuts and cheese and serve hot.
(SOLUTION ON PG. 4)
3
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