Jets' Aaron Rodgers becomes 9th NFL player to throw for 60,000 yards

WE’LL SEE YOU THEN. THANK YOU. AARON RODGERS HAS HIS SIGHTS SET ON A RETURN THIS SEASON. THE FORMER PACKERS QUARTERBACK ISN’T GIVING UP HOPE ON A RETURN BEFORE THE END OF 2023. RODGERS AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, TORE HIS ACHILLES IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF HIS FIRST GAME WITH THE JETS ON SEPTEMBER 11TH. HE HAD SURGERY TWO DAYS LATER ON THE 13, RODGERS TELLING NBC SPORTS SUNDAY NIGHT NIGHT HE IS TARGETING A MID-DECEMBER RETURN TO THE FOOTBALL FIELD WITH THE JETS IN THE MIX FOR A SPOT IN THE PLAYOFFS. AND JOINING US NOW AT FOUR IS DOCTOR RYAN GRAF. HE’S AN ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON AND SPORTS MEDICINE DOCTOR WITH MILWAUKEE ORTHOPEDIC GROUP LIMITED. WE WANT TO DEFINITELY KNOW YOUR REACTION TO HEARING RODGERS PLANS MID-DECEMBER FOR THREE MONTHS AFTER THAT INJURY. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? YEAH, I MEAN, IT’S A LITTLE BIT EARLIER THAN WE TYPICALLY EXPECT. USUALLY WITH MOST ACHILLES TENDON REPAIRS, YOU’RE YOU’RE COUNSELING PATIENTS THAT IT’S A LONGER RECOVERY. IT’S A LARGE TENDON, IT’S A BIG INJURY. AND TYPICALLY IT’S CLOSER TO THE REALLY SIX MONTHS AT THE EARLIEST, BUT USUALLY MORE OFTEN TO THE 9 TO 12 MONTH RANGE. SO THIS IS DEFINITELY EARLIER THAN USUAL. HE HAD A SLIGHTLY NEWER PROCEDURE THAT WAS PERFORMED. IN ESSENCE, IT’S THE SAME, YOU KNOW, YOU’RE REPAIRING THE TWO ENDS OF THE TENDON. SO SO IT’S DEFINITELY A LITTLE BIT EARLIER ON THE TIMETABLE THAN STANDARD. YOU SAID SIX MONTHS AT THE EARLIEST. 9 TO 12 MONTHS IS TYPICAL FOR GOING SO FAST BACK IN WITHIN THREE MONTHS. DOES HE IS HE AT GREATER RISK FOR THIS? CERTAINLY, WE MEAN THE REPAIR IS STRONG, BUT THE DOESN’T NECESSARILY CHANGE THE BIOLOGY OF THE TENDON HEALING AND SO ONE OF THE ONE OF THE RISKS HE HAS IS EITHER STRETCHING OUT THAT REPAIR OR HAVING A RE TEAR OF THE TENDON BECAUSE IT’S NOT AS STRONG AS IT WILL BE BY THE END OF THAT TENDON HEALING AND AND THAT THAT THE MONTHS THAT HE NORMALLY WOULD GET YOU KNOW OF THAT TENDON GETTING STRONGER AND STRONGER AS HE GOES THROUGH THE NORMAL REHAB PROCESS. I MEAN AARON RODGERS IS AARON RODGERS HE’S A GREAT QUARTERBACK. IT’S HARD TO ARGUE WITH THAT. CAN HE BE THE PLAYER HE WAS BEFORE? I THINK HE CERTAINLY CAN. I THINK THAT’S VERY REALISTIC. I THINK HE JUST HAS TO WAY WITH HIS MEDICAL TEAM, THE JETS ORGANIZATION AND AND WHAT HIS GOALS ARE. IF THEY WANT TO TAKE ON THAT EXTRA RISK OF HAVING HIM TRY TO COME BACK THIS SEASON. IT’S CERTAINLY A DECISION THAT THEY GOT TO MAKE JOINTLY. AND IT’S NOT NECESSARILY WRONG ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, BUT BUT HE I WOULD SAY HE’S AT INCREASED RISK OF COMING BACK THIS EARLY WHEN HE CAN ALLOW HIMSELF TO GET A LITTLE BIT STRONGER WITH A NORMAL REHAB PROCESS. AND CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT WITH HIS SURGERY, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO PUT HIM ON TRACK FOR A QUICKER RETURN IS HOW WE UNDERSTOOD IT. YEAH, I MEAN, THE HE HAD A MORE MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY, ONE THAT’S BEING USED NOW A LITTLE BIT MORE COMMONLY. BUT IN ESSENCE IT’S STILL JUST PUTS THE TWO ENDS OF THE TENDON TOGETHER AND IT TRIES TO FACILITATE A LITTLE BIT EARLIER MOTION, A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, REHAB. BUT IT’S STILL YOUR BODY STILL NEEDS TO HEAL IT. SO, YOU KNOW, HE’S CERTAINLY GETTING HIGH LEVEL CARE AND THE BEST TREATMENT YOU MONEY CAN AFFORD. BUT BUT IT’S STILL THE BODY STILL TAKES TIME TO HEAL. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS OF OF THE PROCEDURE, IT STILL TAKES TIME. SO YEAH, I THINK, I THINK HE’S ON TRACK AND I THINK HE’S OBVIOUSLY DOING WELL. BUT IF HE WANTS TO PUSH THE LIMITS A LITTLE BIT, THAT’S, THAT’S UP TO THEIR, THEIR TEAM. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR YOUR INSIGHT. WE APPRECIATE IT. I