Oct 15, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) looks on during the second half against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
NFL: Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets
NEW YORK — Hold the phone.
Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) said he’s not progressing as fast as he did earlier in his recovery.
Here we go again.
Appearing on the Pat McAfee show on Tuesday, Rodgers admitted it was a “tough week” of rehab and that there was some frustration on the rehab not progressing as quickly as it seemed to be.
“It’s been a tough week of rehab; it’s been kind of smaller gains,” Rodgers said. “I think when you get to a certain point, you’re not maybe having the jumps you have early on when you’re out of a cast and out a boot and in a shoe.”
The Jets quarterback also admitted that he doesn’t “quite have the strength in [his] calf” and is still walking with a limp.
“It’s a matter of trying to get down to 100 percent walking normal. I’m not walking without a limp yet. I don’t quite have the strength in my calf to be able to walk without a limp yet. Based on normal timetables, I have to have some perspective here because I’m not on normal protocol.
It was always a longshot for Rodgers to return, no matter how optimistic he was, but it now seems unlikely.
There’s still a lot of time, but Rodgers will need to make immense progress in the next few weeks to have a legit shot of playing in regular season games.
“I’m competitive and I want to be walking without a limp, so there is some frustration when you’re not quite all the way there yet. We’re getting close. The muscles around the Achilles are straining to balance for the Achilles, which isn’t 100-percent yet, so there’s some strain on them.
For now? Stay tuned.
