When Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down just four snaps into his highly-anticipated debut against the Bills with a torn Achilles, the wind seemed to quickly blow out of the Jets’ sails. All hope for a moment seemed lost.
Zach Wilson along with the Jets’ defense (namely Jordan Whitehead), as well as Xavier Gipson in overtime, helped lead the Jets to the huge Week 1 win over Buffalo.
Fast forward a few weeks and the Jets are now 3-3 after upsetting the Philadelphia Eagles and have a lot of momentum going into their bye week. Could they also potentially be getting Rodgers back this season when it seemed he was completely done?
CBS Sports injury expert Marty Jaramillo believes he can. In a recent appearance on CBSSports.com, Jaramillo said he thinks Rodgers could potentially be back as soon as Week 15 in December.
He said Rodgers is on an “unprecedented” timeline on his Achilles recovery, with the latest sign being him throwing a football for a few minutes before New York’s game against the Eagles.
“He’s moving almost three times as fast as traditional protocols,” Jaramillo told CBSSports.com Monday. “No boot, no crutches, minimal limp. It’s quite exponential. There is no precedent for this type of recovery following an Achilles tear. He is beating back Father Time.”
Jaramillo said Rodgers could potentially return 12-14 weeks after surgery, which could mean a return somewhere in the deconstructed half of December, perhaps as early as Week 15 when the Jets visit the Dolphins. He did say he has his doubts but would be “happy to be wrong”.
“By Month 4 or even 3 at this pace — or shall we say at a Rodgers pace — he would be at the equivalent of Month 9 or 10 of traditional healing,” Jaramillo said.
If the Jets are in the playoff hunt by mid-December, which they very well could be, especially after beating the Eagles — the Jets are half-game out of a wild card spot — and Rodgers is able to return at the end of the regular season, what a momentum boost that would be for the Jets.
It’s far from a guarantee, but Rodgers did get his Achilles worked on by by Dr. Neil ElAttrache, one of the best in the world of sports medicine, and had a “speed bridge” technique used to help accelerate his recovery.
Time will tell what eventually happens, but there is an actual chance we see No. 8 after all this season.