Legendary quarterback gave New York Jets fans hope after ‘revealing’ he could return to the team within the month hey, but now it seems extremely unlikely that this is the case.
Aaron Rodgers has confirmed his return is at least a month away – smashing speculation he could return within weeks.
Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, where he is a regular guest on Tuesday, he said: “It’s going to take a few weeks. “which is sure to be a blow to New York Jets fans.
It was initially hoped that the legendary quarterback could return in November following his revealing comments to Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James this week.
Rodgers is heard telling James to “give me a few weeks” when asked when he could return, just hours after he was able to move well on his feet before throwing a long pass 55 yards downfield.
Among the quotes heard by the nearby camera crew, Rodgers said: “Obviously it was said with a bit of tongue in cheek.
It would be nice to be able to come back in a few weeks. That’s probably not a realistic timetable.
“The 39-year-old missed just eight weeks of surgery after tearing his Achilles tendon in his Jets debut, after being traded from the Green Bay Packers earlier this summer.
Rodgers was injured just four plays into his debut at MetLife Stadium in Week 1, initially ruling him out for the season with a typical recovery period of nine months.
However, the veteran has made a remarkable recovery in recent weeks. Jets fans will want to see Rodgers return as soon as possible, as his replacement Zach Wilson continues to fight for relief.
Wilson failed to live up to the hype he generated when he was selected as the No. 2 overall player in 2021 — ahead of Ja’Marr Chase, Micah Parsons and Patrick Surtain II.
Rodgers will look to return before the end of the season, when the Jets still have a chance to make the playoffs midway through the season – with a 4-4 record.
When he turned around, he said: “We’re still a bit far, I’ve got to get to the marker and I’ve got to get to the training ground.
Then they had to open the window so I could get back out.
“So there’s a lot of work to do.
I’m not saying it’s impossible to get up to speed, but there’s still a lot of work I need to do before I can talk about getting on the field.
“Rodgers added that he would not return to the team if they did not have a chance of making the playoffs.
He said: “Obviously we have to integrate, there’s no doubt about that.
But more than that, I have to be healthy, be able to move, be able to protect myself, be able to can get power in every throw.”