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Jets' Aaron Rodgers says he's 'ahead of schedule' in recovering from achilles tendon rupture

October 20, 2023

This past Sunday, prior to the New York Jets’ Week 6 game against the Philadelphia Eagles, four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers went viral for throwing practice passes in the MetLife Stadium field and putting weight on his left foot nearly five weeks after undergoing an "innovative" speed-bridge surgery for a torn Achilles tendon.

“We’re going to save a spot for him,’’ Jets head coach Robert Saleh said on Tuesday, two days after calling Rodgers a "freakazoid" after seeing his pregame toss at the stadium (Cannizzaro, 2023).

Recovery from such a serious injury would be difficult for any athlete, but especially for an older athlete. Rodgers is in his 19th season as a quarterback and will turn 40 years old in December.

Nonetheless, Rodgers suggested that it's possible he may come back and play this year. He has also more recently said it "makes absolutely no sense" to have a specific timetable for return. (McAfee, 2023)

“I’m not aware of anything that would get an athlete back in 14 weeks to play professional sports,’’ Dr. John Kennedy, the professor of orthopedic surgery and chief of the foot and ankle division at NYU Langone, said. “That would be an exceptional recovery. Professional athletes are exceptional human beings who do things the rest of us can’t do, and maybe he will. And if he does then we’re all wrong and it’ll be fantastic for the Jets and for Aaron."(Cannizzaro, 2023)

Rodgers says he's "way ahead" on his recovery plan, but that his plan includes progressive markers that will take time and that can't be precisely predicted, including jogging, explosive movements, followed by practice and pregame workouts. He also notes that his recovery should be "a little easier" because it's his left foot, not his right, push-off leg when throwing. Both diet and what Rodgers calls "just the power of the mind and the power of the manifestations of the desires" are also factors that he says will speed his recovery (ESPN, 2023).

Rodgers' surgery, performed by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, included putting an internal brace on the torn Achilles tendon, which is designed to speed up the rehab process, according to NFL Network.

Dr. Bonnie Chien, an orthopedic surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center says that weight-bearing activities can be seen relatively soon after an Achilles tendon surgery. She describes this kind of surgery as follows:

"The idea, or the way they advertise the implant, is that it can help you potentially speed up your recovery because instead of having tendon to tendon heal to itself, you have an interface between the tendon and the bone at the insertion site," Chien said. "And typically, tendons heal better against bone. So, ideally, it may increase the rate of recovery and the speed of recovery after an Achilles tendon rupture, but there’s limited data and research showing that it absolutely speeds things up." (Morgan, 2023)

As far as a return to the field, Chien says it's "possible" that an athlete could return to the field in a four-to five-month timeframe, though the typical patient can take up to a year.(Morgan, 2023)

Sources:

(2023, October 17). ESPN. The Pat McAfee Show. Aaron Rodgers Talks Throwing, Possibility of Playing This Year, Why He's On Headset At Games. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDyHYJI_fXk

Morgan, J. (2023, October 19). Fox News.com. As Aaron Rodgers rehabs from torn Achilles, doctor offers insight into recovery. https://www.foxnews.com/sports/aaron-rodgers-rehabs-torn-achilles-doctor-offers-insight-injury

Cannizzaro, M. (2023, October 17). New York Post. Doctors: Aaron Rodgers' rush to return to Jets could be a risky play. https://nypost.com/2023/10/17/aaron-rodgers-rush-to-return-to-jets-could-be-a-risky-play/