- Rodgers recently revealed he is “way ahead” of his rehabilitation schedule.
- The 39-year-old tore all four of his Achilles during his Jets debut last month
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Aaron Rodgers has given insight into his “rise to recovery” as he battles the torn Achilles that halted his career with the New York Jets.
Rodgers suffered the injury just four times after his highly anticipated Jets debut against the Buffalo Bills last month, sparking fears his first season with the franchise might already be over.
Yet in the three weeks since, the 39-year-old has raised hopes he could return sooner than expected after he was seen putting weight on his left foot on crutches before the Jets’ loss against the Chiefs last Sunday.
He later revealed during a weekly appearance on the Pat McAfee Show that he was actually “way ahead” of schedule on his recovery.
After this positive update, Rodgers shared a series of photos on Instagram documenting his rehabilitation process so far.
Rodgers tore his Achilles minutes in his Jets debut against the Buffalo Bills on September 11
Along with photos of him walking on crutches, lying on treatment tables and talking to teammate Tim Boyle, the four-time NFL MVP can be seen undergoing marble therapy to treat his Achilles injury.
The beads are commonly used to improve foot strength after injuries, particularly plantar fasciitis, an inflammation located in the heel and heel spur.
Picking up marbles with your toes can help strengthen the feet and speed up recovery processes, and Rodgers appears to have opted for this method.
The selection of photos also includes one that shows him working out using a resistance band.
Jets fans are now optimistic that Rodgers could return much sooner than expected and continue to play a role in the 2023 season.
Discussing his encouraging appearance at MetLife last Sunday, he said on the Pat McAfee show: “The first goal was really to be up, out of a boot and able to walk when I got back.” he said when asked about his appearance at MetLife on Sunday.
“I couldn’t fly until I was cleared again last week without a blood clot, so coming to the Sunday night game was still on the agenda. That was the goal, so I have definitely achieved it. The next goal is now to walk without crutches.
“It’s pretty obvious that I’m way ahead of normal protocols when it comes to normal rehabilitation with this sort of thing. That’s always been my mindset and that’s what (Dr.) Neal (ElAttrache) and I talked about in the locker room after it happened; with the type of operation he had been performing for a while.
Rodgers confirmed he is ‘well ahead’ of schedule in his injury recovery this week
“And then whatever protocols were in place… they weren’t following them. Being as smart as possible and not trying to stretch the Achilles tendon, but stretching the Achilles tendon in a way that allows me to start doing movements faster and speed up regardless of the schedule that has been the norm for this type of injury.
Rodgers also said he no longer feels pain in his Achilles tendon, adding: “It’s just tight, it’s not painful.”
“I went to see the best surgeon in the country, so he did a fantastic operation and assured me repeatedly that I wouldn’t tear this thing unless I did a certain number of calf stretches – which I love a good calf stretch, so it was painful not being able to do that mentally.
“But the good thing is we went straight to work after the surgery and I didn’t lose a ton of my calf. But it’s not painful, it’s a little stiff for sure. It takes a little time in the first part of the rehabilitation for it to start.
“I have great people on the West Coast, phenomenal people here at my facility. So I have a lot of rehabilitation to do in the future and I’m looking forward to the next goal, which I hope I can achieve in a few weeks.