Aaron Rodgers 'Well Ahead' on Achilles Rehab, QB Says on Pat McAfee Show

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his left Achilles tendon only four snaps into his first game of the 2023 NFL season. The four-time MVP underwent surgery on September 13, and recovery from the procedure can typically take up to nine months.

During a Tuesday appearance on the "Pat McAfee Show", Rodgers shared that he's ahead of schedule.

"There's nothing normal about how I'm attacking this rehab," Rodgers said. He said the common practice is to wear a walking boot for about six weeks, but he says he was in a shoe in 13 days. "Again, this is just my mindset. I believe in the power of intention... This is my full-time job—rehab. My entire focus is to do things that haven't been done before."

Rodgers returned to MetLife Stadium on Sunday night nearly three weeks after suffering his injury. The QB, using crutches to walk, was on the field before the Jets hosted the Kansas City Chiefs, then watched his team's eventual 23-20 loss from a luxury suite. NBC reported on its Sunday Night Football broadcast that Rodgers wasn't ruling out returning this season despite suffering what is usually a year-ending injury.

While speaking with McAfee on Tuesday, Rodgers said he's not putting any timetables on his return but remains optimistic about his recovery.

"For the piece of mind, I think you have to have some sort of long-term goal like that," Rodgers said. "Otherwise rehab becomes much more laborious and monotonous... Let's attack this rehab as hard as we can and see where we're at in a couple months. Obviously, I'd like us to be alive and winning and for that to even to be in the conversation.

"I don't think it hurts at all to put that into the manifestation."

Next Goal for Rodgers? Walking

The 39-year-old said Tuesday that his Achilles currently feels tight but not painful. Rodgers' first goal after the procedure was to be on his feet before he attended a Jets game or team meeting. Mission accomplished.

Rodgers had been circling the Jets-Chiefs game for weeks, he said, and was medically cleared to fly last week. An ankle brace and crutches allowed him to move freely.

Rodgers' next goal? Walking on his own.

"It's pretty obvious I'm well ahead of the normal protocols when it comes to rehab for this kind of thing," Rodgers said. "[We're] being as smart as possible, not trying to stretch the Achilles but stretch the Achilles in a way that allows me to start doing movement quicker and to speed up whatever timeline has kind of been the standard for this type of injury."

Rodgers 'Disappointed' In Leaks

Rodgers was disappointed in the Jets over the weekend, but not because of something that happened on the field.

The four-time All-Pro quarterback, at the request of Jets coach Robert Saleh, spoke to the team Saturday night. Multiple reports surfaced over the weekend that Rodgers told his teammates to stop pointing fingers when times got tough and to stick together. Rodgers had shared that same idea publicly on a prior McAfee Show appearance. The 10-time Pro Bowler still wasn't a fan of seeing his sentiments made public.

Rodgers told McAfee Tuesday that he was disappointed that the moment wasn't kept in-house.

"When it comes to some of the stuff I talked about, I think that was one of the more disappointing things about the entire weekend," Rodgers said. "Part of the process of being a team that's connected and being a team that sticks together is there's some things that are meant for the locker room. Conversations that should stay in the locker room, in the meeting room, in the hotel... We need to learn as an organization that some things need to be kept in-house. We gotta tighten the ship up a little bit."

Having Rodgers back with the team was an exciting site for several Jets players.

Wide receiver Allen Lazard, who spent time with Rodgers on the Green Bay Packers and is back with him on the Jets, compared having the QB back to seeing a super hero.

"He just came into the team room like Batman, honestly," Lazard said Sunday, though only after being assured other teammates were discussing Rodgers' visit, too. "And it was just kind of a Hollywood-esque moment of just like Aaron Rodgers, you know, appearing. Walking. I thought he was about to fly honestly."

Rodgers Spoke With Patrick Mahomes Sunday

Sunday's game marked the third time a potential showdown between Rodgers and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes failed to materialize. In 2019, Mahomes missed a game against the Packers with an injury, while Rodgers was out with COVID-19 during a 2020 Packers matchup with the Chiefs.

Rodgers' injury meant that he couldn't face off against Mahomes once again. The two did have a quick chat before Sunday's game.

Otherwise, Rodgers spent the game as a spectator. A.J. Hawk, a former teammate of Rodgers' on the Packers, joked with the QB during Tuesday's show about seeing him in a luxury booth for a game.

"Did you want to grab a headset and call some plays?" Hawk asked.

No, Rodgers didn't. But he did get a boost from being back around football again.

"It was good to be back," Rodgers said. "That was a fun moment. To be carted off the field three weeks ago and then be able to walk back on the field, with a little assistance from the crutches, was pretty special. Just to be in the locker room with the guys, talk to them Saturday night, feel the energy and the excitement was everything I needed."