In a stunning turnaround, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been cleared to start practicing with the team less than three months after tearing his Achilles in their season opener against the Bills.
This clearance also opens the 21-day window for the Jets to activate him off of the injured reserve, which means that he could make his return at some point in December.
Aaron Rodgers’ road back to playing is astonishing
Most players who suffer the same injury Rodgers had in September don’t play for several months and nearly everyone does not return in that same season, which makes his rapid progress even more remarkable.
The initial prognosis for Rodgers was that he would miss the remainder of the 2023 season, and his older age raised significant questions about his playing career going forward.
SNY’s Connor J. Hughes posted on X that it is “absurd” that the 39-year-old quarterback is able to return so quickly.
After Rodgers went down, the Jets went from Super Bowl contenders to one of the worst teams in the NFL. They rank dead last in total yards, passing touchdowns, and first downs on pass plays, according to Pro Football Reference.
Zach Wilson posted a 73.9 QBR starting in place of Rodgers before being benched in Week 11 for backup Tim Boyle.
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Their inability to score is a big reason why they are currently sitting at 4-7 on the season and have a less than one percent chance of reaching the playoffs, according to ESPN analytics.
Jets expect Rodgers back in 2024 regardless of this season’s results
It would appear that the Jets are making a desperate attempt to salvage their season by bringing back their star offseason acquisition as soon as possible. As for whether or not he will be back for next season even if he doesn’t return to the field in 2023, Jets head coach Robert Saleh reassured that Rodgers will be suiting up for New York in 2024.
“Yeah,” said Saleh. “We are under the impression that he will be back in ’24 regardless of what happens.”
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