Aaron Rodgers, the standout quarterback for the New York Jets, seems to be recovering from an Achilles tear quickly and significantly.
Just a few minutes into his Jets debut against the Buffalo Bills, the four-time league MVP was hurt. Rodgers, 39, recently disclosed his ambitions for a miracle comeback to Pat McAfee after initially being declared out for the entire season.
"There's nothing normal about how I'm attacking this rehab. There is common practices about six weeks in a boot, and I was in a shoe in like 13 days."
Aaron Rodgers talked about his rehab with @patmcafeeshow. pic.twitter.com/k9ZH0i038N
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 3, 2023
Prior to their Week 4 home game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Rodgers was seen in recently released footage moving around the New York locker room WITHOUT crutches. The fact that Rodgers appears to be pleased and upbeat at the time makes the situation more encouraging:
Oh baby: the #1JD crew showed some new footage of #Jets QB Aaron Rodgers walking around the locker room ahead of the #Chiefs game w/o the use of crutches 👀 QB1 is looking good in rehab 🎥 @nyjets #TakeFlight pic.twitter.com/G7aF12UXmC
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) October 13, 2023
With a 31-21 victory over the Denver Broncos, the Jets improved to 2-3 on the year and salvaged their season. The Philadelphia Eagles are coming to New York this week, but they are only one game out of one of the three AFC wild card berths.
The Jets’ odds of making the playoffs in 2023 may determine Rodgers’ optimism for an unlikely comeback. The Jets probably wouldn’t want to take any chances even if he were to make an incredible comeback in the upcoming months if making the playoffs is just a pipe dream.
But what if Zach Wilson can lead them into the postseason and perhaps win one or two games? Who knows, maybe Rodgers may succeed in returning to the field.