FLORHAM PARK — Aaron Rodgers’ debut with the New York Jets lasted under five minutes and now he’s out for the year.
A torn Achilles has ended the 39-year-old’s 19th NFL season prematurely and has also introduced questions to the long-term plans for the rest of his career.
AMNY sat down with Dr. Spencer Stein, sports medicine expert at NYU Langone Health, for exclusive updates on where Rodgers’ recovery will take him, and the likelihood of the future Hall-of-Famer returning to the field, if at all in 2024 and beyond.
Luckily, Dr. Stein believes that Rodgers should be able to make a full recovery next season without any major limitations to his game.
“I think that it’s possible for him to get back to play,” Dr. Stein told AMNY. “The injury occurred in his left foot and, looking at the glass half-full, there’s a positive because it’s not a push-off foot. It could affect some scrambling and motion in the pocket but it’s better than the right side.”
Achilles injuries are always tricky. Dr. Stein did compare other sports like basketball, where players require the use of their Achilles more, which is harder to come back from, but he still believes that Rodgers could be his former MVP self.
“Most players can come back…But every player is different,” Dr. Stein added. “And again, being his left foot, maybe that’s a positive here, and maybe he will be able to return. I think there’s a reasonable chance that he’ll be able to return to a pretty high level.”
Head coach Robert Saleh told reporters Wednesday afternoon that Rodgers was seeking different opinions on the best course for his surgery at the current moment. In regards to the quarterback’s future plans in the NFL, Saleh also said that he would be “shocked if this is the way he’s going to go out.”
Rodgers has another year on his deal with the Jets in 2024 and it certainly seems like the team is going to be opening the door for him to play at a high level. The only thing that would stand in his way would be the recovery process or his age.
But several doctors believe the Jets’ quarterback will be more than willing to play at a high-level next season.
For more Aaron Rodgers and New York Jets news, turn to AMNY.com
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