Aaron Rodgers refuses to rule out miraculous comeback to play again this season
Aaron Rodgers has hinted his NFL season may not be over after all as he begins his recovery from a ruptured Achilles in his New York Jets debut.
Rodgers' fairytale debut for his new team quickly became a nightmare on Monday night, going down after four plays against the Buffalo Bills to leave the Jets' hopes of a Super Bowl run in tatters.
But in his first interview since the injury, the 39-year-old has refused to rule out the possibility of playing again this season.
"There has been some guys with some interesting timetables on Achilles returns but we'll see what happens. There's a process. There are certain markers we've got to hit," Rodgers told the Pat McAfee show.
Former Green Bay Packers teammate AJ Hawk interjected, asking if Rodgers meant he was trying to return before the end of the season.
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"I'm not going to make any of those statements, I don't feel like that's fair to myself. I think as (former NBA star) Kevin Garnett said, anything is possible," Rodgers replied.
"It doesn't do anything to make prognostications other than help my own personal mental state, but I'm going to try to push this thing as much as it'll allow me to. There's markers I've got to see where I'm at after a week, two weeks, a month, two months, and we'll see what the conversation is from there."
Rodgers suffered the injury when he was sacked by Leonard Floyd. (Getty Images)Rodgers and the Jets were the talk of the NFL throughout the summer. This franchise has not made the playoffs for 12 years, but at last "Gang Green" fans had hope that exciting times were ahead following future Hall of Famer Rodgers' arrival in a trade with the Green Bay Packers.
The HBO fly-on-the-wall documentary series "Hard Knocks" followed the Jets throughout training camp and confidence was oozing through the organisation, predominantly as a result of Rodgers' presence.
But the four-time MVP's debut lasted just four plays. Rodgers was sacked by Leonard Floyd and appeared to get his foot stuck in the artificial surface at MetLife Stadium.
Rodgers tried to get back to his feet, but he was soon back on the deck and his expression was ominous. He was taken from the field to the medical tent before being carted away into the tunnel for further checks.
Slow-motion replays showed a reverberation in Rodgers' calf region as he was taken down and the following day it was confirmed he had suffered Achilles rupture, which typically is a season-ending injury. The 2011 Super Bowl champion underwent surgery on Wednesday and issued a brief update on Instagram.
"Surgery went great yesterday," he wrote on Thursday. Thank you for all the love and prayers and support. And thanks to the [GOAT] Dr ElAttrache and his staff for starting me on the road to recovery."
Rodgers had to be helped from the field before being carted to the locker room.Despite Rodgers' age and the severity of his injury, his coaches and teammates have been left in no doubt that he will do all he can to make a comeback and lead the Jets into the 2024 campaign. He said in a social media post on Tuesday: 'I’m completely heartbroken and moving through all of the emotions, but deeply touched and humbled by the support and love.
"Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I begin the healing process today. The night is darkest before the dawn. And I shall rise yet again. Proud of my guys. 1-0."
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But Rodgers' latest comments indicate he has not given up hope of getting back on the field before the end of the 2023 campaign. The Jets were able to grind out a win in Week 1 in Rodgers' absence against the Bills, with Zach Wilson stepping in at quarterback.
Xavier Gipson's overtime punt return for a touchdown decided a low-scoring game and Rodgers said it was "special", albeit "sad" to watch his teammates win after his injury.
"I would like to say a big thanks to all the people who reached out," Rodgers added. "I heard from people all over the country, from my past, current teammates, former teammates and people I've never met before.
"That was a big help and it got me through. The number of people who reached out was astronomical and I think I shed just as many tears about the support and the nice messages as the sadness about what happened, so a big thanks to everybody."
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