Aaron Rodgers didn’t offer a hopeful return date, but he is barely accelerating momentum toward what could possibly be a remarkable comeback.
The Jets quarterback, 39, said he’s “way ahead of schedule” in his recovery from a torn Achilles.
He cautioned there are many hurdles that remain as he heals and gains strength, but he’s hitting his own checkpoints to date.
Rodgers — lower than five weeks faraway from Sept. 13 surgery — threw on the sphere before the Jets’ 20-14 upset win over the Eagles on Sunday.
Rodgers appeared to give you the chance to place weight on his left leg and ankle and walked without crutches.
Such was his hope so he could “feel more normal” and be across the team again.
“One other marker’s going to be jogging,” Rodgers said on his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN on Tuesday. “After which one other marker goes to be going through a pregame workout probably and get on the practice field.
“All these are going to take time. It’s not only going to be: boom, boom, boom, boom. … These are all progressions that take time. But obviously, we’re ahead of schedule.”
Because the Jets enter their bye week at 3-3 and really much within the AFC hunt, there may be wonder if Rodgers eventually can relieve Zach Wilson before the season is finished.
The likelihood seemed inconceivable when Rodgers suffered what has nearly all the time been a season-ending injury in Week 1.
Rodgers called the surgery performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache “newer” and “revolutionary.”
Rodgers referenced Vikings running back Cam Akers, who went under the knife in July 2021 while with the Rams and returned to the lively roster by the tip of December.
“I asked [ElAttrache] if we could push it beyond the conventional protocols,” Rodgers said. “Cam Akers had the identical surgery, he was capable of come back in about five months. … I just desired to do things quicker — smart, but quicker. Crucial thing is you simply don’t need to stress the Achilles.”
