Jets QB Rodgers back at practice 11 weeks after Achilles surgery

[November 30, 2023]   (Reuters) - Four-times National Football League MVP Aaron Rodgers returned to practice on Wednesday, 11 weeks after undergoing surgery to repair an Achilles tear he suffered early in his team's season opener, the New York Jets said.

Opening the 21-day practice window for Rodgers, who turns 40 on Saturday, does not necessarily mean he will return to game action this season as the team will now use the time to decide whether to activate the quarterback from injured reserve.

Sep 11, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Buffalo Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd (56) sacks New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Rogers left the game with an injury after the play. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo

"This isn't so much getting ready to play as much as it is a progression in his rehab," Jets head coach Robert Saleh said.

"For Aaron, what he'll be doing in practice is no different than what he'd be doing on (a side field) with regard to certain drill and individual.

"Instead of throwing with staff members, he'll be throwing to team mates. There's no added risk to it. There are certain things that he's been cleared for that we'll allow him to do."

The Jets acquired Rodgers in a blockbuster trade with the Green Bay Packers in April and the quarterback's bid to turn the long-suffering team into a contender had been the top storyline heading into the 2023 season.

But on the Jets' fourth play from scrimmage in their season opener, Rodgers fell awkwardly and eventually had to be helped off the field by two members of the medical staff.

A day later the Jets said Rodgers would miss the rest of the 2023 NFL season. Rodgers then said in a social media post that week that he shall "rise yet again" before undergoing surgery the following day.

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Toby Davis)

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