Even if Aaron Rodgers can return, should Jets want that in 2023?،
FLORHAM PARK, NJ — New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers will turn 40 on Saturday, a milestone very few active NFL players have reached. The same day, he reached 80 years old.
Eighty days since surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles tendon suffered in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills.
The fact that Rodgers is training so soon after a catastrophic injury is another remarkable career achievement. But now he is racing against time. He has 19 days left of his 21-day training window to convince doctors, and perhaps himself, that he is physically capable of playing a football game. If he gets medical clearance, he will have to decide whether the risk is worth it. Coach Robert Saleh said Rodgers would play if he was allowed and if he wanted to.
To play or not to play? By the time his surgery is 100 days old, we might have an answer to the question, one that will surely captivate sports fans, medical experts and casual observers alike. No NFL player has ever come back from a torn Achilles tendon in less than five months.
“Never say never,” wide receiver Allen Lazard said, adding that Rodgers — a friend from his days with the Green Bay Packers — has a “competitive stubbornness to prove everyone wrong. is completely in tune with the times.”
But should he play?
“I want him to be happy and I want him to be as healthy as possible, not just today or tomorrow and the rest of the season, but long term, down the road, when he retires and that he will hang up his cleats,” Lazard said. said.
It’s important to note that Rodgers isn’t close to being game ready, which he readily admits. As Saleh said Wednesday, when the Jets officially designated him for return, “it’s not so much about getting ready to play as it is about progressing in his rehab.”
In theory, they could give him more time after the 21-day window, activating him from injured reserve, but he would take up a spot on the 53-man roster. A return to action seems unlikely, but let’s dive in:
Three reasons why Rodgers shouldn’t play
It challenges conventional medical thinking. It takes at least three months for a repaired Achilles tendon to heal properly, according to medical experts. This is usually when muscle strengthening rehabilitation begins, which can last for a few more months. Rodgers returned to practice on Wednesday, a week shy of the three-month mark. Although he’s not allowed to make contact — basically, he’s training in a controlled environment — he’s still moving and putting pressure on his Achilles tendon.
“It would be safer and give the best possible chance of 100 percent recovery if he waited more than five months,” said Dr. Steve Neufeld, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in Achilles injuries and clinical instructor at the University of Texas. Georgetown. He added that there is a risk that the tendon will stretch if it is not fully healed, causing permanent weakness.
Rodgers acknowledged his timeline is ambitious, saying he won’t be 100 percent for another four months (mid-January), but he believes in the rehabilitation program created by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed the surgery in September . 13. Rodgers was thought to be targeting Dec. 24 for his return — a home game against the Washington Commanders — but hinted Thursday in an interview with beat writers that he might return sooner.
When asked how he would react to seeing Rodgers on the field, Neufeld responded, “I hope the Jets offensive line is the best offensive line that’s ever existed.” They need to protect this quarterback more than anyone else. I had to protect.”
The Jets offensive line is anything but the best. He allowed 47 sacks, 30th in the league.
There’s virtually no chance at the playoffs. ESPN analytics indicate the Jets (4-7) have less than a 1 percent chance of ending their 12-year playoff drought — the NFL’s longest active slump. Rodgers said the team’s playoff viability would be a factor in his decision, saying Thursday, “I don’t think it would make a lot of sense” to play in a game without playoff implications.
The next two games will take place against the Atlanta Falcons (5-6) and the Houston Texans (6-5). If the Jets win both and get to 6-7 – a huge ask, given their offensive woes – that would set the stage for a potentially dramatic comeback. Imagine the groundswell for Rodgers in this situation.
Saleh wasn’t about to comment on a what-if, but he has confidence in his quarterback to make the right decision. “I promise,” Saleh said, “Aaron won’t do anything to put him in danger.”
12:30 a.m.
Aaron Rodgers returns to the training pitch
Aaron Rodgers returns to Jets practice with some throwing drills.
There’s always next year. Rodgers has expressed a desire to play in 2024, which should make it easier to accept a mulligan this season. With almost all of their key players under contract and with another round of draft and free agency going, the Jets should be able to improve the team around Rodgers, putting together another all-in season.
In other words, the Rodgers window isn’t closing, so there’s no need to urgently backtrack now or ever.
Worst-case scenario, he would return and suffer another significant injury, jeopardizing his availability for the start of 2024. Unless the front office can find a big-time backup quarterback, the Jets will have jeopardized another season. There are also financial consequences. Rodgers is set to make a fully guaranteed $38 million in 2024, and you can bet owner Woody Johnson wants maximum return on his investment.
Three reasons why Rodgers should play
It would be one of the great comebacks in sports history. He’s a four-time MVP and former Super Bowl champion, so his legacy is assured. But imagine how much he would improve his image by achieving a medical miracle. He would cement his place in history as one of the toughest guys of all time. Rodgers admitted he was motivated by the prospect of being the first back in less than five months. His teammates say he’s motivated to show the world that standards don’t apply to him.
“I think that’s the point he’s trying to make,” defensive end John Franklin-Myers said. “Everyone is going to give you this box and you stay inside that box until you don’t have it anymore. Then you’re a unicorn. All it takes is someone one does it. Here is the opportunity to show that he can.”
From the beginning, Rodgers decided to use the “Pat McAfee Show” as a platform to chronicle his recovery, controlling the narrative with weekly updates. A return to action would be a remarkable conclusion to his much-publicized recovery. Some believe it is also a motivator.
He can change the narrative. Barring a dramatic turnaround, 2023 will be remembered as the season that wasn’t. Or the season that lasted four plays. Rodgers recently told the “Pat McAfee Show” that he felt a sense of “personal guilt” for his injury, which sabotaged the team’s chances. Until their third-string quarterback, Tim Boyle, the Jets have managed just 10 offensive touchdowns in 11 games.
Rodgers, saying he feels “helpless” as a spectator, could provide a spark, provided he can get close to his past form. This is hardly a guarantee given the long downtime. It might be too late for a serious playoff run, but maybe he would give the Jets a feel-good ending to pursue in the offseason. The locker room would love to see him back on the field, but no one wants him to be reckless.
“If he thinks about it and his team says, ‘Go for it,’ and he wants it, then we’ll all have his back,” linebacker CJ Mosley said.
He can help his friends. Looking to ease Rodgers’ transition to a new team, the Jets surrounded him with a handful of familiar faces, namely offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and receivers Lazard and Randall Cobb. None of them lived up to expectations.
Rodgers could also help take pressure off Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas, who are 15 to 30 years old since they teamed up in 2021. Hackett, in particular, faces intense criticism from fans and media for fielding an offense that ranks 31st in points scored per game. game (12.7).
“I want to play and I feel like the Johnsons [owners Woody and Christopher] I want me to be here,” Rodgers said. “It’s a really good organizational structure. I feel like Joe wrote this very well. I feel like Robert is a fantastic coach. Nathaniel too, but these decisions are not up to me.”
