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After seeing him on the field taking drop-back throws prior to the New York Jets’ game against the New York Giants on Sunday, speculation about Aaron Rodgers‘ return to the field, obviously and once again, ratcheted up.
Rodgers has been clear about his intent to try and return to the field this season ever since he first publicly spoke following the injury, and so far, he seems to be backing up those desires with his rehab, which certainly appears ahead of schedule.
Speaking to reporters this week, Jets general manager Joe Douglas said that they’re “expecting Aaron to be back… with the team” this season. Whether or not that’ll be on the field, though, remains up to the doctors, Douglas reiterated.
Douglas clarified that he meant “with the team.” He’s leaving the rest up to doctors. https://t.co/KKhTJ2XWFP
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 31, 2023
Since Rodgers tore his Achilles in his first official drive as a New York Jet during their Week 1 game against the Buffalo Bills, the Jets have compiled a 4-3 record, which puts them in the thick of the AFC playoff race, particularly with a home matchup against the 3-4 Los Angeles Chargers coming next Monday.
If Rodgers did return to Gang Green’s starting lineup this season, it would certainly be remarkable considering the fact that Achilles injuries have usually taken 9-12 months to recover from and that Rodgers is now 39 years old. It’s not entirely unprecedented, however, as current Minnesota Vikings running back Cam Akers recovered from his Achilles injury in under six months.
As long as the Jets can keep their head above water in the AFC, Rodgers will believe he has a team worth returning to, as their defense has been elite, in addition to the likes of wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall looking like true superstars.
The problem, however, is that the Jets’ offensive line is now in far worse shape than it was when Rodgers got injured playing behind it back in September as they’ve since lost multiple starters to lengthy injuries.
According to recently retired offensive lineman and current podcast Taylor Lewan, he heard that Rodgers is targeting a return in December, which is just one month away from the time of this writing.