Aaron Rodgers faces a long road back if he wants to continue playing.
The remainder of the 2023 season is out, and there’s no guarantee he would be ready at the start of next year, either, according to two orthopedic specialists who spoke with The Post.
Rodgers ruptured his left Achilles tendon Monday night, early in the Jets’ overtime win over the Bills.
A date for surgery has yet to be determined, head coach Robert Saleh said.
While there have been instances of players returning from such an injury quickly (Rams running back Cam Akers made it back in just under six months), Rodgers’ age (he will turn 40 in December) works against him.
The recovery time is typically nine months to a year, although it can take longer.
“At 40, it’s an uphill battle,” Dr. Ryan Minara, chief of podiatric medicine and surgery at Mount Sinai Beth Israel, said. “Can he do it? Not only are these NFL quarterbacks the best in the world, he’s one of the best of the best, a very competitive guy. So certainly he has that working for him, but just based on the way the body ages, despite being a competitive, high-level athlete, it’s a hard injury to recover from.”
Minara believes Rodgers’ mobility, if he does play next season, would be limited and the Jets would need to build an elite offensive line so he wouldn’t have to use his legs.
He may have to modify his game. Dr. Andrew Brief of Ridgewood Orthopedic Group, who was trained in orthopedic foot and ankle reconstruction, said that athletes can typically expect to regain approximately 90 percent of their strength and speed within one year of sustaining the injury. The position of quarterback doesn’t require the same explosive motions as a running back, cornerback or wide receiver, which is working in Rodgers’ favor.
“I wouldn’t extrapolate from this injury, even with his age, that it’s a career-ending injury at this point in time,” Brief said. “It is an extremely important variable, age being something that certainly lends itself to a longer and more difficult recovery. However, that being said, we’re talking about an elite athlete. … In the context of his sport, football, he’s not young. However, in the context of him recovering from an Achilles repair in general, he’s still not considered to be an old man.”
He added: “I would say by no means at this point in time is it fair to count Rodgers out. I would be surprised if this turns out to be a career-ending injury and his first and last game as a New York Jet.”
There have been aging quarterbacks who have suffered the same injury and have returned to play several more years. Dan Marino (at 33) and Vinny Testaverde (at 35) are two examples.
“Even though they were younger, I would still expect he’s likely to return hopefully at or near the same level of play when he recovers fully,” Brief said.
“I would say by no means at this point in time is it fair to count him out as this being a career-ending injury.”
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