Aaron Rodgers looked incredulous when he heard the question.
The Jets’ quarterback sat down with reporters who regularly cover the team on Thursday and the first question asked was why he was attempting to come back from an Achilles tear quicker than anyone ever has.
“Why?” Rodgers said in disbelief. “Do you know my history? It’s never been a why try, it’s why not.”
Rodgers came up with this plan to return the day after he tore his left Achilles on the first series of his first game as a Jet. He spent most of that Tuesday crying before deciding he was not ready to look ahead to 2024.
“I was really sad and frustrated and the whole feeling sorry for yourself mode,” Rodgers said of his feelings on Sept. 12. “Then, I realized the only thing I can really control at this point is my attitude. I can either attack this rehab and turn it into a positive or I can go into another dark cave for six months. I decided for my mental health it would probably be a little bit better if I attacked this rehab with all my focus and passion and heart and see what I can get out of it.”
You can call Rodgers crazy for trying this. You can question whether it is smart for a player who turns 40 on Saturday to attempt to defy conventional medical knowledge.
But there is something admirable about what Rodgers is trying to do. In a sports age where we criticize athletes for only caring about money and where basketball players can’t play on back-to-back nights, Rodgers is trying to come back and help the Jets make the playoffs.
He may fall short of that goal. Rodgers returned to the practice field this week but admitted, “I’m not anywhere near ready to play.”
Rodgers said the target date has always been Dec. 24 against the Commanders for him to return to a game but then hinted that he may try to come back sooner than that.
“I think anything’s possible,” Rodgers said.
One thing is abundantly clear: Rodgers is different.
Most athletes who suffer an injury turn their focus to next year. It is always a strange thing to witness when a player suffers a season-ending injury. Injured players become like ghosts around a team. If they stay around the team, it is in the background.
Rodgers does not do “the background.” He has remained in the spotlight all season despite playing only four snaps. That annoys some people and is part of why he draws criticism, but this should not obfuscate what Rodgers is attempting to pull off.
It would have been easy and understandable if Rodgers just wrote off 2023. He has nothing left to prove in the NFL. His Hall of Fame induction is just a question of when, not if. His money is guaranteed. The motivation here comes from Rodgers having a different “why” than most.
“I’m doing this because it’s all I know how to do is compete,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers is not married. He does not have kids. His life revolves around the team and competition. This competition is against himself and his doubters. How far can he push his body? How many hours can he devote to rehab? How can he figure out a diet that will help him heal faster even if it means drinking bone broth every day?
“I’m old,” Rodgers said. “I didn’t feel like the luxury to think about next year. I want to come back this year.”
Who knows how this will all play out? Rodgers acknowledged the Jets have to be in playoff contention for him to play in a game. At 4-7, that is already a shaky proposition heading into Sunday’s game with the Falcons.
Whatever happens, it’s amazing that Rodgers is even on the practice field 11 weeks after the injury when the normal rehab from an Achilles tear is 6-9 months.
In this era of load management, Rodgers has shown how badly he wants to play again this season.
Good for him.