Aaron Rodgers is at MetLife Stadium for Sunday’s NFL game between the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles. He arrived to the team locker room via golf cart, as seen in a video posted by the organization on social media.
The manner in which he exited the golf cart and entered into the facility caused a lot of speculation. Aaron Rodgers had a pretty significant limp as he walked, but was not using crutches or a boot.
Is this normal?! That is the question that internet doctors everywhere immediately tried to answer.
Let’s think it through…
Aaron Rodgers’ recovery is moving right along!
Rodgers fully tore his Achilles tendon during Week 1 on Sept. 11. Had surgery on Sept. 13, which placed an internal brace called a “speed bridge” on his ruptured Achilles and gave him some hope for a return at some point this season.
Sunday’s date was Oct. 15. 32 days have passed since surgery.
According to the Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University, male patients aged 30-50 who suffered a torn achilles typically require at least two weeks of immobilization. From there, a walking boot is necessary for about eight weeks. Around the two month mark, patients “begin to wean out of boot” and “initiate walking in shoe/natural ankle position.”
Hospital for Special Surgery says that “patients can expect three to four weeks of immobilization, non-weightbearing (using crutches.)” It adds that most patients begin to bear weight on their foot at four weeks after surgery.
By Ohio State and the Hospital for Special Surgery’s timeline, he would have had his achilles immobilized until at least Sept. 27. At that point, Rodgers would have begun to walk with crutches while wearing a boot. And yet — on Oct. 1, he was walking without a boot, with minimal help from crutches.
On Sunday, Oct. 15, Rodgers didn’t even have crutches.
Every injury is different. Every recovery timeline is different. I am not a doctor.
However, for Rodgers to be bearing his entire bodyweight while walking without crutches, even with a limp, does not seem “normal.” Seem is the key word here. It’s all conjecture.