Aaron Rodgers is eight days out from his target date of return. The 39-year-old quarterback hopes to get back on the field for practice on his birthday, Dec. 2.
Whether that happens or not is yet to be seen, but it would be remarkable if it becomes reality.
Rodgers tore his Achilles on Sept. 11 and got special “speed bridge” surgery on Sept. 13. 80 days will have passed between the operation and his 40th birthday. That is less than three full months.
It normally takes the average person about three months to get out of a walking boot after rupturing the Achilles tendon. Rodgers wants to participate in a live football practice before the three-month mark.
In the meantime, there is an ongoing debate about his gait.
Rodgers pulled up to MetLife Stadium more than three hours before kickoff on Black Friday. As has become tradition, even though he isn’t playing, the New York Jets posted video of his arrival.
Dressed like a character straight out of The Matrix, Rodgers was moving.
There was some serious hustle in his stroll. It was not leisurely.
If Rodgers wasn’t so far ahead of schedule in his recovery already, the speed at which he was walking would have been a pretty big deal. However, that is nothing new at this point.
The question is this: was Aaron Rodgers limping?!
Quite a few people online were quick to say that the four-time NFL MVP was walking without a limp. Others pushed back on that narrative. Rodgers appeared to have a hitch in his giddy up.
It was minimal, sure, but there certainly seemed to be a slight limp involved with his walk.
If Rodgers is still limping, he is further out from a return to game action than people might think. He has said before that he must be able to protect himself in the pocket. A limp won’t allow him to do so!