Aaron Rodgers made waves earlier this week when the New York Jets activated him from the injured reserved list. The move opened up a 21-day window for the injured quarterback to make his return to the field, and the team released footage of Rodgers making passes in practice on Wednesday. On Thursday, he spoke with the media for the first time since his activation, and answered some of the burning questions that the football world has been wanting to know about.
Aaron Rodgers: “What’s The Worst That Can Happen?
Aaron Rodgers said he understands the risks of coming back.
“My thing is: What’s the worst that can happen?”
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) November 30, 2023
The 21-day window gives Aaron Rodgers an opportunity to return some time within the first three games of December for the Jets. The opponents for those games are the Falcons, Texans, and Dolphins, with the latter being the one in which the QB makes his return for. When asked what he thought of the idea of coming back and playing when the Jets have little to no shot and making the playoffs, Rodgers said that it “wouldn’t make a ton of sense.” The Jets are currently 4-7 and have a <1% chance of qualifying for the postseason.
But perhaps the most interesting quote from Rodgers during the presser came when he was asked if he understood the risks of coming back early from an Achilles tear:
My thing is: what is the worst that can happen?
Is Rodgers Attempting The Comeback For His Own Interest?
On this, Aaron Rodgers said that “in my opinion there’s not a downside to coming back and reinjuring it” because he’d have enough time to rehab it and return again in 5-6 months anyway. https://t.co/yFvD3Efm37
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) November 30, 2023
He went on to say that there is no downside even if he does re-injure his leg, given that he will have 5–6 months to heal before the beginning of the 2024 season.
Regardless of what he says about the Jets position in the standings or if they have a shot at the playoffs, it seems as though Aaron Rodgers is attempting a comeback more for personal reasons. He hinted at the struggles that he went through during the injury and rehab process, saying that he spent much of the day on September 12th crying and feeling sorry for himself. He then said that he could either decide to attack rehab and make it a positive, or “go into another dark cave for six months”.
The Jets will take on the Falcons this Sunday. On the off chance that we actually see Aaron Rodgers play again this season, it will likely be in the December 17th game against the Miami Dolphins.
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