Following surgery to repair his ruptured left Achilles tendon, Aaron Rodgers shared an update on Instagram, letting fans know the procedure went well. The surgery was done by Dr. Neal S. ElAttrache, who performed the same procedure on the late Kobe Bryant back in 2013. The recovery process starts now for the quarterback of the New York Jets.

“Surgery went great yesterday. Thank you for all the love and prayers and support,” Rodgers said on Instagram, with a photo of him smiling in a hospital bed. “And thanks to Dr. ElAttrache and his staff for starting me on the road to recovery.”

Aaron Rodgers suffered the ruptured Achilles Monday night on just the fourth snap of his Jets career. The biggest story of the NFL summer came to a disappointing end before it ever got started. Rodgers will miss the entire 2023 season, but he says he will be back next year at age 40.

Kobe Bryant tore his Achilles in the 2013 NBA Playoffs and famously went to the free throw line to hit two free throws before exiting the game. It was the first major injury that started the decline of his legendary career. He returned for six games in the 2013-14 season, but other injuries kept him from ever returning to his prime form.

A torn Achilles is perhaps the worst non-life-threatening or non-chronic injury in sports. It's devastating to an athlete's explosiveness and physical capabilities, and it usually carries a year-long recovery period. Rodgers doesn't rely on the athleticism of his lower body, so he will hopefully be able to return to his elite form next year.