Aaron Rodgers' cryptic IG post could hint at return date

Aaron Rodgers popped his Achilles minutes into the NFL season. It was a heartbreaking moment, quickly extinguishing the excitement around Rodgers' first campaign with the New York Jets. To make matters worse, Rodgers is 39 years old. There was a genuine fear that Rodgers was done.

Well... he's not.

Rodgers has been hard at work in rehab, and it's going well. Almost too well. It's difficult to wrap one's head around just how quickly Rodgers has gone from surgery to normal walking and light aerobics. He's not participating in contact drills or full sprints, but he was seen tossing the ball around prior to the Jets' win over the Giants last Sunday. He ruptured his Achilles on Sept. 11 — less than two months ago!

It's clear Rodgers wants to return this season. He previously told Pat McAfee he aims to return in the postseason, but heck, he could be on pace for an even quicker turnaround from the looks of it. And, if we want to break out our tinfoil hats for a second... Rodgers may have just told fans exactly when he's returning.

Aaron Rodgers' IG post has fans dreaming about a December return

Rodgers put a watch advertisement on his Instagram Story... with a curious date. The watch is set to 12/28, which at first glance appears to hold no material value. Unless Rodgers is a big fan of National Chocolate Candy Day, there's no holiday tied to Dec. 28. His birthday is 26 days prior. Why 12/28?

Well, naturally, fans referenced the NFL schedule and Dec. 28 in a Thursday. Only one game is played on Thursday Night Football, and Dec. 28 happens to feature the Cleveland Browns against the New York Jets. It's not a very difficult conspiracy to buy into. No matter how many days Rodgers spends in a dark room in the middle of the woods, he is very #online. He engages with the social problems of our chronically online society. Who better than Rodgers, frankly, to kickstart a wave of internet theorizing with no basis in proven fact or medical precedence?

The idea of Rodgers playing NFL football 3.5 months removed from a torn Achilles is preposterous, but Rodgers has set his mind to the task and he appears to be making unbelievable progress on a weekly basis. Cam Akers set the gold standard for Achilles recovery with a 5.5-month return date. Rodgers is looking to shave off a third of that time.

It's probably a random date, or maybe it has something to do with the ad campaign he's participating in... or, maybe Rodgers is trying to tell us something. It would certainly be an incredible feat if Rodgers can suit up late next month.