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NY Jets’ Aaron Rodgers clarifies return criteria on ‘McAfee’

Aaron Rodgers, NY Jets, Return, Achilles
Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets, Getty Images

Appearing on the “Pat McAfee Show,” Aaron Rodgers spoke about his current return timeline from his Achilles injury

The New York Jets’ starting quarterback is clearing the air on when he plans to return to the field and what it will take for him to make that decision.

Appearing on his weekly “Pat McAfee Show” spot, Aaron Rodgers spoke about his recovery timeline for getting back on the field.

Rodgers said that he is not at a point “where he can make a decision on playing” and acknowledged that the Jets’ playoff status would play a role in his return.

“It’s always been first, am I healthy? And then, are we alive? Are we in it? Are we playing well enough to make a run? Can I step in, protect myself, and play at the level that I know I’m capable of playing?” said Rodgers.

“But the first part is the health…there’s a natural progression here to the rehab. That’s going to involve actually getting back on to the field to start to do some things that are more football-related.”

The quarterback also mentioned that he is doing better “every week” and that not traveling to Buffalo helped his rehab.

“The ability to not travel to Buffalo probably helped me the most, just because I’m able to get those ten days straight of rehab in without the travel. As much fun as it is to see the guys and support the guys, it does set me back a little bit on rehab,” said Rodgers.

“Because I was going to come back here exclusively post-Thanksgiving, that gave me a really good jump to go from where I’m walking almost normal to now jogging and increasing the speed and body weight on that. I’m feeling strong…I’m excited about what’s next.”

If one is to take Rodgers at his word, he is leaning toward making the right decision.

There is no point for the future Hall-of-Famer to rush his recovery if the Jets are in a better position to compete for draft seeding instead of the playoffs. It would allow Rodgers to be fully healthy for 2024 and help the Jets be a true force in the AFC.

Yet, Rodgers is known to go against the grain. It would not be surprising if Rodgers pushed himself onto the field to prove that he could do something that no one else has. Additionally, the quarterback could potentially want to show that he would’ve helped to alleviate the team’s offensive issues if he stayed healthy all year.

For now, though, it is all speculation. Rodgers is still recovering and has yet to even reach a stage where he can practice with the team.

If the quarterback does reach that point, it will pose a critical decision for all parties involved. Whether Rodgers plays at the end of this season or not could have gigantic ramifications for the Jets’ franchise as a whole, especially if the team is out of playoff contention.

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