There was hope that Aaron Rodgers would be able to take the field once more for the New York Jets before the 2023 NFL season ended. Those hopes have dwindled.
Jets: Rodgers Back Tracks on Return Timetable With Health Still in Question
Rodgers, a regular on the Pat McAfee Show, had this to say in his latest visit regarding how his rehabilitation process has gone and where he sees himself with only four games left in the season, per Rich Cimini of ESPN:
“If I was 100 percent today, I’d be definitely pushing to play,” he said. “But the fact is, I’m not.”
Rodgers’ new claims run contrary to comments he made earlier in the year. After Week 9, Rodgers came out publicly and declared that he was well ahead of schedule from a torn Achilles tendon he suffered in the Jets’ season opener against the Buffalo Bills.
In November, Rodgers stated that he intended to make his return in mid-December. Rodgers also told McAfee that since Thanksgiving, he’s been a limited participant in practice, graduating from individual drills to 7-on-7 work as he looked to round into form.
However, time has flown since then and the month of December along with the Jets’ season are both nearly over.
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Is it Wisest For Rodgers to Come Back Fully Healthy in 2024?
The Jets have gone 1-5 in their last six contests, extinguishing any momentum they could have generated for Rodgers to step in and solidify a playoff berth. Additionally, according to Rodgers’ self-profession, he is not ready to go at 100 percent game speed and the Jets have little to play for with the 13th-best record in the AFC.
The Jets don’t have reason to be disappointed in Rodgers potentially taking the rest of the year off. Recovery from Achilles tears usually takes as much as a year to recover from in professional sports. Rodgers would have been in the same class as former Baltimore Ravens star Terrell Suggs, who returned from the same injury in around five months.
Rodgers did not outright say that he’s done, but that’s the message that was received. The Jets will continue with Zach Wilson under center and look to build on positives they can carry over into the offseason.
