Aaron Rodgers Aaron Rodgers broke his silence finally after his Achilles injury that he suffered Monday night. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
FeaturedNFLBy Sean Keeley on

As soon as Aaron Rodgers went down with a ruptured Achilles on Monday Night Football, the question wasn’t whether or not he’d return for the 2023 NFL season, but if he’d ever return to the football field ever again.

However, according to a new report, the New York Jets quarterback could potentially see the football field again this season thanks to an innovative and new surgery.

According to NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, Rodgers has undergone a procedure with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache that puts an internal brace in his torn Achilles that would presumably protect the repair and allow him to return much sooner than athletes usually do from that kind of injury.

While a ruptured Achilles usually requires at least six months of recovery time, this “speed bridge” could have Rodgers back and ready to play by mid-January, which would be right around the time of the NFL Playoffs.

Of course, there are a lot of “ifs” in this scenario. One, will the 39-year-old truly be back in game shape in order to give it a go by that point? Two, will the Jets make the playoffs? And three, if they’re good enough to make the playoffs with Zach Wilson or another quarterback, why switch it up to a hobbled Rodgers with a potential Super Bowl run on the line?

“The speed bridge does not guarantee a quicker return, though it is said to enhance the strength of the repair and guard it against stretching, sources say,” writes Rapoport and Pelissero. “So much depends on how Rodgers’ rehab goes and how his body responds as he turns 40 in December. If there is no reason to push the return — i.e. the Jets are not in the playoffs — then this would be moot.”

Per the reports, a lot of this will depend on Rodgers’ rehab and whether or not the surgery repairs the rupture well.

Still, the possibility that Rodgers could return for a Jets playoff run garnered some interesting reactions.

[Ian Rapoport & Tom Pelissero]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.

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