So, remember that whole thing about Aaron Rodgers' 2023 season being over because of his Achilles injury? That may not be entirely accurate.
Rodgers ruptured his Achilles on the fourth play of his New York Jets career and it certainly felt like that was it for his season. However, there's new hope that the quarterback could play for New York again before the end of the campaign.
The type of procedure performed to repair Rodgers' injured Achilles "opens the possibility of an earlier return," according to sources cited by Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com.
Aaron Rodgers could return more quickly thanks to innovative procedure
Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed a "speed bridge" on Rodgers' left Achilles on Wednesday. That procedure is "designed to accelerate the normal rehabilitation process" per NFL.com.
Sources told Rapoport and Pelissero that there are no guarantees, but the new process could get the quarterback back on the field in as little as four months.
That timeline would have Rodgers potentially available for the Jets in January when the playoffs start.
The biggest barrier to this working out for Rodgers is his age. He's almost 40 and the body simply doesn't heal as quickly at that age as it does when younger. Any number of complications could arise.
So Jets fans may not want to get their hopes up just yet, but the push for the playoffs feels even more important now.
New York went 7-10 last year. They had an outside shot of making the playoffs but ultimately fell short.
Rodgers was supposed to take them to that next level but obviously, the injury got in the way. Now, there's the slightest glimmer of hope that he could come back. It's up to the rest of the team to extend the season long enough to give him the chance.
