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On September 11, Aaron Rodgers shocked NFL fans when he ruptured his Achilles tendon in his New York Jets debut against the Buffalo Bills.
On just his fourth offensive snap, the Super Bowl XLV MVP was tackled by linebacker Leonard Floyd and appeared to be in serious pain. A subsequent MRI confirmed said season-ending Achilles rupture.
But Rodgers, not willing to see his first year with Gang Green go to waste, decided to undergo a revolutionary type of surgery called "speed bridge" - in which a brace is attached to the ruptured tendon, protecting it.
And on Thursday, September 28, the New York Post spotted him walking for the first time since the said procedure.
When will Aaron Rodgers return?
An Achilles rupture is usually season-ending, if not career-ending, meaning unless his "speed bridge" works as well as intended, Aaron Rodgers could be on the shelf until well into 2024. However, with the "speed bridge", that may be reduced to just around four months, potentially allowing the 39-year-old to return in time for the playoffs - if the New York Jets qualify.
Recently, Rodgers visited The Pat McAfee Show to discuss a potential timetable:
"These type of injuries can take a lot of time -- it can be 6-to-8, 12 months. There's been a few guys who have come back at four-and-a-half (months) -- I think (Los Angeles Rams running back) Cam Akers came back at four-and-a-half (months) (in 2021), a couple guys at five months. So I don't want to get caught into a timeline. I just want to get healthy, honestly -- mentally and physically, honestly."
"But I'm going to do everything that I can, rehab-wise, to put myself in a position to be ready to play football again at some point. And that's the goal. I mean, obviously, when this happened, there's a lot of thoughts about, like, 'Is that it? Do you just cash it in? You're done?' I just don't feel like I am. So I'm going to put myself in a position to be able to play again and then it'll be when that is," he added.
Without Aaron Rodgers, the Jets defeated the Bills 22-16 in overtime, but lost their next two, reviving criticism of his predecessor and backup Zach Wilson.
