EXCLUSIVE Aaron Rodgers’ miraculous recovery explained: Experts reveal how Jets quarterback is walking without crutches just 5 weeks after ‘season-ending’ Achilles tendon tear – and say a return by playoffs IS ‘possible’

Fitness experts are calling Aaron Rodgers’ recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon ‘much faster than expected’ and saying it is ‘possible’ he could return to football before the end of the season.

The New York Jets quarterback suffered an Achilles tendon injury in his debut on September 11, an injury that normally takes a year to heal.

The setback put his NFL career in jeopardy and it seemed almost certain that the 39-year-old would have to wait until the rest of the year before stepping foot on the field again, given his age.

However, last week saw him walking unassisted and throwing the ball around with teammates, just three weeks after the injury.

For example, most patients rely on crutches for at least eight weeks before they can put weight on the injured leg.

Experts told DailyMail.com that Rodgers had undergone a minimally invasive procedure, which allowed him to ‘beat the impossible’ and play before the end of the season.

Rodgers is also a big believer in a predominantly vegan, “ancestral” diet and hallucinogenic teas, which could also have speeded up his recovery.

Dr. John Gallucci, Jr., CEO of JAG Physical Therapy in New York City, told DailyMail.com, “He’s doing great. He has moved up the timeline dramatically than we would see with a normal Achilles tendon repair.”

Dr. Gallucci said the quarterback had undergone a speed bridge procedure, a minimally invasive form of Achilles tendon surgery that most patients do not undergo.

In a speed bridge procedure, a surgeon makes a small incision and implants a device. Sutures pass the impact and lock onto the ends of the torn or torn tendon. These are then anchored in the heel, born or sewn to the other end of the tendon.

Dr. Michael Sganga, a foot and ankle surgeon at Orthopedics New England, told DailyMail.com: ‘If (the tendon) is anchored in the heel, it’s a lot stronger and can rehabilitate faster, but the biggest key is that the incidents are much be smaller. The skin heals quickly, (and) people can usually get up and walk again within the first two weeks.”

‘The whole idea is to reattach the muscles and tendons to the heel and function to move the foot. Make sure you do this soon after the injury so that the muscle does not atrophy and lose its function.’

When a muscle atrophyes, it becomes smaller and eventually disappears.

However, most patients receive an open Achilles repair. The surgeon makes an incision at the back of the calf to locate the partially torn or completely severed tendon. The surgeon removes damaged tissue and uses sutures to repair the tear and attach the ends of the severed tendon.

The location of the tear, as well as the patient’s general health, determine whether the patient is a candidate for a speed bridge over traditional Achilles tendon repair.

‘To qualify for this, you would have to tear distally, which is at the end of the Achilles tendon, as it attaches to your heel. That’s an important part,” Dr. Gallucci said.

“Many people tear their Achilles tendon mid-shaft down to the Achilles tendon, leaving only tissue that can be sutured.”

Dr. Sganga said patients who are young and relatively healthy are more likely to be considered for speed bridge recovery. However, someone with an older injury or a condition such as chronic tendonitis may require more care than a minimally invasive procedure

“(Rodgers) a professional footballer, he’s in great shape, he eats well, he takes care of himself. Those are things that may have made him more of a candidate for this and also wanting to get back on the field sooner,” he said.

Rodgers has repeatedly promoted his predominantly vegan, high-protein, “ancestral diet.” He reportedly eats oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, chicken or vegetable protein and green salad for lunch, and occasionally red meat and vegetables for dinner. AWESOME!!

He also endorses hallucinogenic tea which has “taken away a lot of the stress around the idea that I have to accomplish things before I actually die.”

Along with the surgery, Dr. Gallucci said, these lifestyle factors could have an impact on Rodgers’ accelerated recovery.

‘When we see him now, at about five weeks, he ultimately looks like he’s at 12 weeks for a normal Achilles repair. That’s the best way to look at it,” he said.

“Based on a procedure the doctor performed, it gives him the opportunity to do all these things a little sooner.”

“The fact that he is a healthy candidate who is nutritionally knowledgeable, understands rest and fitness, is absolutely opportunistic for him to get a great result.”

‘Rest, hydration and nutrition are the factors for a better, healthier body.’

Both doctors believe it’s too early to know for sure whether Rodgers can return before the end of the football season, but there’s reason to believe he can “beat the impossible,” Dr. Gallucci said.

‘I think anything is possible. I think his recovery is much faster than expected and much faster than that of the majority of people with Achilles tendon rupture,” said Dr. Sgana.

‘He’s definitely pushing for it. I think he can come back, but time will tell.”

“I think it’s a good sign that he’s throwing the ball there without help, but that’s a big difference between running into the pocket and playing pro football and getting hit.”

‘I don’t know if he will still be there at the end of the season. But he is already several months ahead of the typical Achilles repair. This is definitely a lot faster than I expected.”