Jets general manager Joe Douglas met with the media for one of the fe times during the season and was of course asked about the status and his thoughts on quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Douglas made it clear that he expects Rodgers to return at some point this season, but he also clarified that he doesn’t necessarily mean Rodgers will return to play this season, just returning to the team.
“I am not going to put words into Aaron’s mouth,” Douglas said Tuesday. “I mean we are obviously excited to see him progress through his rehab and look, we are taking everything day by day and certainly we will be excited when he is back in the fold just as a person and leader that he is, but I am not a doctor, so I can’t go into the specifics on the rehab, but yeah I mean we are excepting Aaron to be back.”
Rodgers suffered his Achilles injury just four snaps into his Jets debut on September 11 against the Buffalo Bills but has been progressing well and has been on the field before games, throwing and being around the team. There remains a non-zero chance that Rodgers will be able to play again this season, but that is also dependent on the Jets being in the playoff hunt.
Douglas also made sure to clarify that he just means he expects Rodgers to be back with the team, not necessarily playing this season.
“With the team, with the team,” Douglas said. “I have no timeline on, again I am not an expert, I am not a doctor, I have no timeline to give you guys on him coming back, but it is just good having him around, when he’s out there pregame, when he is around the team, it’s just good having him in the building.”
The Jets are sitting at 4-3 following their win on Sunday over the New York Giants and are currently in a four-way tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals for the last two playoff spots in the AFC (the Steelers and Browns currently would be in). They still have a favorable schedule coming up, so if they can stay the course and Rodgers is able to play, we may see Rodgers in playoff football after all.