Former NFL doctor David Chao reveals rehab process for Aaron Rodgers, addresses possibility of return

When former NFL team doctor David Chao watched Aaron Rodgers go down last night in the first quarter of Monday’s night game between the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills, he immediately thought it was an Achilles injury. Chao, who tweeted his prediction, turned out to be right as Rodgers has been diagnosed with a torn left Achilles.

Chao, who was the team doctor for the San Diego Chargers for 17 years, hopped on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday to talk with McAfee about what he expects from the recovery process for Rodgers.

“He’s done for the season,” Chao said. “I heard you earlier Pat saying that you don’t see him calling it quits after this and I would agree. Competitors like this don’t want to call it quits on this. That’s why he stood up after the sack. He was more mad about it. But then when he tried to take the steps, said it’s not working, I’m sitting down.”

"I'm confident in Aaron Rodgers making a full recovery..

I have high optimism that he'll be playing again next season" ~ @ProFootballDoc #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/mkyssaWzHx

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 12, 2023

Rodgers went down on the fourth play of New York’s first possession after a sack from Leonard Floyd. The 39-year-old Rodgers threw only one pass in the game, which fell incomplete.

Chao said that while the recovery won’t be an easy process, he is confident in Rodgers ability to return from the injury.

“Medically, I’m confident in his recovery, even though he’s 39 and he’ll be 40,” Chao said. “How does it compare to an ACL? In some ways, it’s harder because it takes longer. But in some ways, it’s more guaranteed. I’m confident that he can, indeed, come back. I get he’s 40 but even if Aaron Rodgers comes back, and he’s a little, tiny bit less mobile, he’s still Aaron Rodgers. And Aaron Rodgers coming off an Achilles, I guarantee you, is more mobile than Tom Brady at 45, more mobile than your guy Peyton Manning, more mobile than my guy Phillip Rivers at the age of 25. I have high optimism because of the mental side but also the medical side that he will come back next year.”

Chao also said that Rodgers doesn’t have to go under the knife right away.

“There’s no urgency that it has to happen today,” Chao said. “It’s not an emergency. Who knows? Maybe he’s gonna get a second opinion and hope against hope. But there’s no urgency to do it. Whether it’s today, tomorrow, next week, I don’t think there’s any big urgency to do it.”