Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers poised to ‘surprise many’ following ground-breaking Achilles surgery

Don’t tell Aaron Rodgers he’s done for the season.

After rupturing his Achilles just four snaps into his Jets debut last Monday night against the Buffalo Bills, and by all prognostics out for the rest of the year, Rodgers is already planning his return to the field which he thinks can be sooner rather than later.

The 39-year-old quarterback underwent surgery on Wednesday in Los Angeles and, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the renowned orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, performed an innovative procedure designed to “accelerate the normal rehabilitation process from such an injury.”

Placing an internal brace called an Achilles “speed bridge” on Rodgers’ torn Achilles, the surgery allegedly protects the repair and opens up the possibility of an earlier return. In fact, the relatively new procedure is “designed to have an athlete fully recovered in as little as four months”, per Rapoport and Pelissero.

If that were the case, that would mean Rodgers could potentially be back by mid-January, just in time for the playoffs should the Jets make it that far.

“There’s a lot of different ideas about the overall length of the rehab, I think what I’d like to say is, just because nobody’s ever done it in a certain way doesn’t mean it’s not possible,” Rodgers said. “I definitely have some odds stacked against me based on age, but I like it. Stack all the odds up against me and see what happens. My entire focus and dedication is about acquiring the most information and adding to what I’ve already put together as a pretty damn good rehab plan that’s going to, I think, shock some people.”

Of course, as Rodgers said, the procedure and rehab are no guarantees, especially at his age (he turns 40 in December).

However, in an effort to come back way before anybody could have predicted, Rodgers might also receive platelet-rich plasma injections, a procedure other NFL players have undergone, including Russell Wilson last season.

Regardless when Rodgers does return, if at all, Gang Green is committed to going with Zach Wilson at quarterback for the foreseeable future. That starts Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.