As Americans, when we wake up on chilly Sunday mornings, we think of one of two things-church or football. You turn the TV on and check your phone to ensure your fantasy football roster is up to date while the NFL Network channel plays in the background. It is a simple schedule, yet many of us share the common Sunday tradition. As much as we love the game, the hardest part is always saying goodbye to the players we’ve grown up watching.

The most chilling news to receive as a football fan is hearing your star player go down for the season. This nightmare struck New York Jets fans on Monday Night Football against the Bills. Only four plays into his new journey after a long 18 years with the Packers, Aaron Rodgers was tackled, resulting in a torn Achilles. Not only is this injury seen as an end to his season with the Jets, but potentially an end to a generation of football players young kids around the country grew up watching. 

The New York Jets head coach followed up on the injury, saying, “He has invested so much into this organization. He has so much into this journey that he has embarked on and wants to be part of what we have going here, and how much he has invested… I have many emotions for him.” 

Along with Rodgers, fans of the sport have gone through the grueling process of watching players they have watched for so long hang up the cleats for their careers. In the past three years, we have seen some of the greatest players of the 2000s come to the final decision to retire. All-time greats such as Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald, and Drew Brees have all retired within the past two years, and so many of their generation are rapidly declining production. Some believe that Rodgers’s final effort in New York was the last stretch for this generation of football players. His injury capitalized on his legacy and many other players who played alongside or against him. Nevertheless, he is still making a valiant effort to recover and redeem himself, proving to fans that the old timer still has more gas in the tank.

Following his injury on Monday night, Rodgers almost immediately underwent surgery to start the healing process. Within the week, Rodgers was back to walking in a boot when he stated, “Trying to get out of the boot is kind of the next goal, so I feel the strength to be able to stand up on my own,” With Rodgers turning 40 in December, many fans and doctors expectations for his return are low with him almost guaranteed to miss the season. 

With Rodgers being the last quarterback of the 2010 era of all-stars, as fans, we view his recovery as a dignifying moment and a final remark to his generation. With new rising stars in Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, the new era of players is speeding out of sight of their older and slower counterparts. 

As fans, we all hope to see Rodgers recover as we watch our childhood role models slowly fade from our TV screens. Although the generation that so many of us grew up watching rests on his shoulders, the new era of skill and adaptation seems to be taking over faster than ever.