New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers is attempting what still seems impossible. Rodgers said his personal goal is to return to the lineup in mid-December, just three months after rupturing his achilles tendon. While Jets fans will be happy, former NFL All-Pro WR Chad Johnson thinks it’s a bad idea for the four-time league MVP.
“Don’t come back. You’ll hurt yourself,” said Johnson to TMZ. “Don’t do it. You’re going to reinjure yourself. It’s too soon.”
Accelerated Comeback Seems Impossible
The Jets played the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday Night Football and Rodgers spoke to NBC sideline reporter Melissa Stark, and advised her of his goal.
Stark reported that Rodgers told her his goal is to “come back mid-December,” according to Stark.
“He said, ‘I know it sounds insane, but you do a good surgery and you have a good patient it makes this possible,’ ” Stark said.
According to Dr. Kevin Stone, orthopedic surgeon at The Stone Clinic, the recovery process for an Achilles tendon repair is about eight to nine months.
Considering that Rodgers is an elite athlete and is capable of more work load than your average human, what kind of curve does that allow him to accelerate? Six months? Is Rodgers such a good patient that all he needs is three months?
No two surgeries, patients, recovery speed, etc. are the same. That’s true.
Rodgers underwent a “speed bridge procedure on Sept. 13 to repair his torn left Achilles tendon. The surgery was performed in Los Angeles by renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
The new procedure is designed to have an athlete fully recovered in as little as four months from what is normally a season-ending injury. The speed bridge is designed to protect the repair and expedite a potential return to the field. While the speed bridge does not guarantee a quicker return, it is designed to enhance the strength of the repair and guard it against stretching.
Maybe Rodgers is superhuman and he’ll be back and good as new in mid- December. I remain skeptical.
Still A Long Way To Go
Walking around and feeling good in day-to-day activities, even NFL practice, is very different from a live game.
Johnson, who never tore his Achilles, said that injury is one you don’t mess around with.
“You have to understand,” Johnson said, “there are few injuries that you don’t want to play with. You don’t want to play with anything having to do with your groin, your Achilles, or your knees. You don’t rush back from those. I don’t care what your doctors tell you.”
We’ll see what Rodgers’ recovery looks like over the next month.
The Jets are 4-5 after Sunday night’s loss to the Raiders. Their next five games include three against divisional opponents: two against the Miami Dolphins and one against the Buffalo Bills. The other two games are against the Atlanta Falcons and the Houston Texans.
The team would have to go 3-2 over that stretch or better, 4-1, for this comeback to even make sense. The closer they get to a playoff berth the better.
Still, a long way to go for both Rodgers and the Jets.
