NEW YORK (PIX11) -- Just 79 days after tearing his Achilles tendon in week 1, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is back on the practice field.
Wednesday head coach Robert Saleh announced that the team has opened the 21-day practice window for Rodgers and that he's been cleared for "functional football activity." However, Saleh added this does not mean Rodgers is ready to return to game action.
"This isn't so much getting ready to play as much as it is a progression in his rehab…so there's no added risk to it"
Regardless of whether Rodgers plays this season, his return to practice highlights the remarkably quick recovery process he's gone through after most assumed his season was over just 4 snaps into his Jets career on Sept. 11 against the Buffalo Bills. The doubt came because typically an Achilles injury takes between 9-12 months to recover from, and no player has ever torn their Achilles in-season and returned within the same season. The closest is the Rams running back Cam Akers who tore his Achilles in training camp in July 2021 and returned for Super Bowl LVI in February 2022.
But there are other factors to Rodgers returning this year. While he has remained optimistic throughout the rehab process about returning to game action this year as opposed to 2024, he has repeatedly said that he won't return if the Jets are out of playoff contention.
"Once I’m healthy, then it's … 'are we in it? Can I help the team by being out there? Can I protect myself? Can I move around and do things I want to do?'" Rodgers told the Pat McAfee show Tuesday. "If the answer is ‘yes,’ then we move in that direction.’’
Rodgers did not specify what the Jets record needs to be for him to return this season, but New York currently sits at 4-7 on the season and is on a 4-game losing streak. There are 8 teams ahead of them for the final playoff spot in the AFC, so clearly there's a lot to do before Gang Green can consider the return of their superstar signal-caller.