Aaron Rodgers cleared to practice less than three months after Achilles rupture
November 29, 2023 01:43 PM
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is cleared to return to practice as the Jets opt to open his 21-day practice window less than three months after he tore his Achilles tendon just four plays into the season.
Head coach Robert Saleh made the announcement at a press conference on Tuesday at the team’s facility in Florham Park, New Jersey.
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“This isn’t so much getting ready to play as much as it is a progression as rehab,” Saleh clarified.
Per NFL protocol, a player has 21 days to be activated to the 53-man roster when a team opens his 21-day practice window. Otherwise, the player will land on the season-ending injured reserve list.
The Jets coach downplayed Rodgers’s readiness to play anytime soon, noting, “We’re so far away from that.”
“He’s like a lot of guys coming off,” Saleh said. “They’re usually not ready to play football; there’s still a little bit of a health concern there. And so you use these 21-day windows to see where they’re at.”
“For Aaron, what he will be doing in practice is no different than what he’d be doing on field three,” Saleh explained. “Instead of throwing with staff members, he’s throwing with teammates, so there’s no added risk to it.”
“He’s not cleared to fully play football,” Saleh reiterated.
Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers stunned the sports world in 2022 when he returned from an Achilles tear after less than six months.
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Earlier in November, Saleh addressed the prospect of the 39-year-old Super Bowl champion returning this season, which would be unprecedented.
“Aaron’s a big boy, a grown man, and no one’s going to know Aaron’s body like Aaron knows his body,” Saleh said. “And if he feels after all the doctors clear him — I’m sure there’s a million of them, I have no idea — but if Aaron says he wants to play, he’s going to play.”