NFL Rumors: Forget playoffs, Aaron Rodgers could return even sooner

We know the story by now. The New York Jets went all-in on Aaron Rodgers by way of trade this offseason only for the four-time MVP to tear his Achilles after four snaps in the 2023 season. Since then, though, bubbling beneath the surface has been the possibility of an unprecedentedly fast return for the quarterback.

And it might not just be a pipe-dream contrived by desperate Jets fans either.

Prior to the Jets' stunning upset over the previously undefeated Eagles in Week 6, Rodgers was on the field with no walking boot and no crutches throwing light passes on the field. For a player just a month removed from an Achilles tear, that's not remotely the norm. In fact, CBS Sports HQ injury expert Marty Jaramillo says that Rodgers is progressing far quicker than what we see in most situations.

"He's moving almost three times as fast as traditional protocols," Jaramillo said, via CBS Sports. "No boot, no crutches, minimal limp. It's quite exponential. There is no precedent for this type of recovery following an Achilles tear. He is beating back Father Time."

NFL Rumors: Aaron Rodgers could return as soon as Week 15 for Jets

Furthermore, Jaramillo estimated that, at this current recovery pace, Rodgers could be fully ready to return 12-14 weeks after the surgery to repair his Achilles injury. That would put him back on the field even as soon as Week 13 but perhaps even by Week 15, which is still substantially faster than the normal 9-10 month recovery, at minimum, for the injury.

For the Jets, though, this return and rapid recovery could be huge news. New York's win over the Eagles, though shocking, moved the team to 3-3 with Zach Wilson at the helm. That also came against one of the most difficult stretches on the schedule.

New York still has games against the Bills and Dolphins looming in the AFC East. But outside of the division, the Jets play the Giants, Chargers, Raiders, Falcons and Texans leading up to this potential projected return for Rodgers. They could very much keep it around .500 and make a final push for the playoffs with Rodgers back at the helm of the offense.

By no means is this a guarantee. When Rodgers was talking about targeting a historically fast recovery, though, some people dismissed it. From what we've seen thus far, though, he might actually be on track to accomplish that -- and keep the Jets' Super Bowl dreams for this season alive.