NFL Fans React to Aaron Rodgers Being Cleared for Jets Practice

NFL fans were pretty sure they'd seen the last of Aaron Rodgers this season, after he suffered a complete tear of the Achilles tendon during his first-ever game with his new team, the New York Jets, back in September.

However, it is now being reported that Rodgers has been cleared for practice with the team once again, just 79 days after his injury, opening up the 21-day practice window for players who have been on injured reserve. But this latest development is still no guarantee that we'll be seeing him on the field before the 2024 season.

"This isn't so much getting ready to play as much as it is a progression in his rehab," head coach Robert Saleh clarified to team reporter Ethan Greenberg. "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 teammates. There's no added risk to it. There are certain things that he's been cleared for that we'll allow him to do."

"A lot of guys coming off [injured reserve], they're not ready to play football," he continued. "There's still a little bit of health concern there, so you use these 21-day windows to see where they're at. We're still far away from that. Like I said, the mindset from this is more about the progression in his rehab. He's been cleared for functional football activities, not been cleared to fully play football."

Rodgers himself has made no secret of the fact that he's eager to get back in play, posting to Instagram from his hospital bed that "anything is possible."

"This entire time I've said what I'd like to do rehab-wise," he said today. "Neal, my doctor Neal ElAttrache, did kind of a newer, innovative surgery. I asked him if we could push it, if we could push it beyond the normal protocols. I've just wanted to do things quicker, smart, but quicker. It's just about being smart with the rehab and pushing it as much as I can and then backing off on the days that it doesn't feel good."

If the Jets do indeed decide to activate Rodgers, then it's likely that his first post-injury play will be during the Christmas Eve game against the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium. But the news has already divided NFL fans online: while some are excited by the prospect, others are unsure if rushing through the recovery process is such a great idea.

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