New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers targeting Week 16 return from Achilles injury

According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has a target return after tearing his Achilles in the very first game of the year.

Typically, an Achilles tear is a devastating injury that takes players out for an entire season of play at the minimum and can often linger for much longer. However, Rodgers and his medical team are trying to defy all of the odds and get him back on the field in the same season in which he tore the Achilles.

From Rapoport, the latest news is that Rodgers and New York are eying a return during the team’s Week 16 game against the Washington Commanders on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24. Here was that report:

From @NFLGameDay: #Jets QB Aaron Rodgers eyes a December return, with Week 16 being the most likely spot… if the #Jets are alive and he can protect himself; Meanwhile, the #Bills debut a new offensive coordinator today. pic.twitter.com/HV3JZ8L5Wr

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 19, 2023

Rodgers excited about potential return

Aaron Rodgers still wants to come back and play for the New York Jets this season. However, the team has to be in the mix for a playoff spot and he has to be fully healthy.

It’s basically the same message he’s sent for weeks. He “wants to do something that’s never been done before.”

In his latest appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers elaborated on his conversation with NBC’s Melissa Stark about a possible mid-December return.

“As far as what I talked to Melissa Stark about, I never said anything definitive,” Rodgers said. “She talked about having a conversation with my amazing doctor. She talked to my doctor about if it would be insane to try and come back in, you know, three months. And he responded about the fact that when you bring together a specific type of surgery with a specific patient with this specific amount of stubbornness and desire to get back on the field and obviously playing quarterback, then there’s a possibility. 

“But nothing’s changed as far as my timeline. It’s: we got to be in the mix, and I gotta be healthy and I definitely still want to come back.”

Rodgers also updated his rehab process, especially within the last two weeks with primetime games for the Jets as he traveled to Las Vegas this past weekend.

“You know, we had a Monday night game, so I was off Sunday, I flew a redeye,” Rodgers said. “Monday being able to move around, so that was more in the rehab mindset where I’m not just stationary all day and the previous weeks I’ve used kind of my flying day as my off day. 

“So this last week, Saturday, I got a great, long session to rehab in and flew to Vegas, dinner with DaVante (Adams), walked around a little bit … And then Sunday it was a complete off day. So on the off days, I really want to get myself completely off, like obviously I’m still walking and pacing the sidelines, but I need at least one day off every single week. So that was planned there.”

If Rodgers does come back, it’s only in the event of the Jets being in the mix. Currently, the team is 4-5 with two straight losses to the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders.