Suffering a ruptured Achilles four plays into his Jets tenure, Aaron Rodgers underwent surgery this week. The four-time MVP was close to retiring before joining the Jets, but he offered a clue into his post-2023 plans shortly after the injury. Early signs point to Rodgers playing in 2024.
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Rodgers still did not slam the door shut on a question Friday about returning this season, in the event the Jets make the playoffs. While the 39-year-old passer refused to put a timetable on his comeback effort, he included a Kevin Garnett/”anything is possible” reference — in response to a question about coming back in the postseason — during his latest Pat McAfee Show appearance (video link).
“It doesn’t do any good to make prognostications, other than help my own mental state, but yeah, I’m gonna try and push this thing as much as it’ll allow me to,” Rodgers said. “There’s markers I’ve gotta see — where I’m at after a week and two weeks and a month and two months — and then we’ll see what the conversation is from there.”
Players have returned months after Achilles injuries in the not-so-distant past. Terrell Suggs and Michael Crabtree came back from their maladies — in 2012 and 2013, respectively — during the regular season. Of course, the Ravens linebacker and 49ers wide receiver both went down in May. Suggs returned Oct. 21; Crabtree was back Dec. 1. Cam Akers suffered an Achilles tear in July 2021; he returned in time for the Rams’ Week 18 game that season. Of course, Akers was not effective upon coming back that year.
Rodgers is considerably older than this trio at the time of injury, and it would be shocking if he became a realistic candidate to come back this season. It certainly says a lot about his change in mindset upon being traded that he would go from being “90% retired” to considering a radical comeback in the event the Jets made the playoffs — or advanced deep into the postseason.
“Give me the doubts, give me the timetables, give me all the things that you think can, should or will happen, because all I need is that one little extra percent of inspiration,” Rodgers said. “That’s all I need. So, give me your doubts, give me your prognostications and then watch what I do.”
The Jets have not signed a quarterback to fill out their depth chart. Although Zach Wilson underwhelmed to the point the Jets benched him and then charted an aggressive course to add a veteran, the team has attempted to throw its support behind the former No. 2 overall pick as a starter. Ex-Rodgers Packers backup Tim Boyle is in place as Wilson’s backup ahead of Week 2. The Jets have been connected to Colt McCoy, Brett Rypien and the recently retired Chad Henne in the wake of Rodgers’ injury. McCoy remains a free agent, and no indications have emerged Henne would unretire if asked to do so. The Rams bumped Rypien to their 53-man roster to prevent a potential Jets poaching, but CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson indicates Gang Green’s Rypien interest was not believed to be serious.
On another front, John Lynch said Friday (via the San Jose Mercury News’ Can Inman) the 49ers did not receive a call from the Jets on Sam Darnold. With the 49ers trading Trey Lance to the Cowboys last month, trading Darnold back to the Jets would seemingly be a nonstarter for a team that has dealt with a number of QB injuries in recent years. The Jets made the decision to trade their three-year starter in 2021 and draft Wilson in 2021, collecting second-, fourth- and sixth-round picks from the Panthers.
Trading Darnold back to the Jets and signing Colt McCoy to be Purdy’s backup would be an upgrade for the Niners
Until Purdy is lost for the season at which point McCoy heads to Vegas in a deal to bring back Jimmy G…lol.
Not really. You can win games with Darnold, he’s a high end backup IMO. Carolina had success with him at times when they had a good run game and defense to lean on, and the 49ers have way more talent and far better coaching than Carolina.
How do you consider Darnold a highly end back up…
Do you just expect every backup to play as well as the starter? As a backup, Darnold is a pretty good option.
He wasn’t good as a permanent starter but he was decent in a few games last year, and you’d be hard pressed to find a better immediate option if your starter goes down. That’s pretty much the best you can hope for in a backup.
In fairness to Darnold, when did he ever have an offensive line? Or stability at the coaching level?
The man the professional that he is. Stood on a sideline while mic’d saying he was seeing ghosts. He is horrible he was been horrible every time he played.
I mean, are there 48 better QBs out there?
Yes
This does not possible or advisable. Rodgers is 39; this is an impossible plan for a 20 year old, let alone a veteran. I admire his determination, but it just sounds damaging to me.
Did the Jets not get a close enough look at Darnold for 3 years straight??? I would hope they wouldn’t consider him, again.
All of those people have justifiably been fired by now.
Why would the Jets trade for Darnold when they already determined he was not what they wanted in the first place?
They also determined that Zach Wilson was the QB of the future. I think they would love to have a mulligan on that entire process.
I don’t think they want that at all, Darnold didn’t do much more for the Panthers than he did for the Jets. Certainly not enough to make them think they made a mistake
The Colts should be offering Minshew for a late round pick…
Better suited as a supersub off the bench.
By now the Colts probably know that they’re going to need Minshew. They’re never going to say it out loud. But they have probably realized that Anthony Richardson is going to make Justin Fields look like Dan Marino.
bro its one game, richardson did poretty good in his first start vs good Defense
Be creative, go sans QB1. Hire Ken Niumatalolo and go with RPO 100%!
Ill take that bet. No way that Rodgers comes back this season.
I doubt he will be back next season as well.
Its nice that he can be positive but the dangers that he is facing if he comes back too soon and re-injures his tendon or the injuries that come out of the tendon break (back, knees, hips) will keep him from being a starting QB.
I think that most of his talk since injuring himself has been to cater to his teammates. I agree with your comment that this approach, should it be taken, would be unnecessarily reckless. I give Rodgers a little credit for that, because it does show that he’s committed to his new team. That’s a welcome change, after watching Rodgers strain and struggle and suffer his way through Green Bay, he seems to actually be a team player again. A HoF QB like him should be doing that, and that’s what those players in New York expect.
I think that Rodgers’ comments are a bit exaggerated in terms of realism, but it seems to me that his teammates, not us, are his target audience. I see how some people are annoyed by some of it, but I also think that he’s trying to give something to his teammates while he’s out.
What a shame Rodgers got injured. One of about 3 player/team changes in the league that could cause some real upset to what is the otherwise obvious order of finish.