Just one week ago, quarterback Aaron Rodgers was preparing for his debut with the New York Jets. Now he's bracing for a potentially long recovery.
"Before even an MRI, I knew what happened," Rodgers said last week on “The Pat McAfee Show.” "I knew I tore my Achilles. I had popped my calf a few times… and it was not that sensation, so I knew that this was not a good situation."
What's not so certain is how long it will take for Rodgers to recover from a complete Achilles tendon tear or rupture.
"I definitely have some odds stacked against me based on age, but I like it," Rodgers said. "Stack all the odds up against me and see what happens."
The Achilles tendon is a strong fibrous cord that connects the muscles in the back of your calf to your heel bone. The tendon directs movement from the leg to the foot, including pointing and rising onto your tiptoes as well as flexing the toes up.
The connective tissue can be torn partially or completely with a misstep or with a sudden movement like running or jumping. If your Achilles tendon ruptures, you might hear a pop, followed by an immediate sharp pain in the back of your ankle and lower leg. Surgery is often performed to repair the injury.
Age and Rodgers' position while he was being sacked on the Jets' fourth offensive play of the game likely combined to cause the injury, according to Dr. Robert Glatter, a former sideline physician for the Jets and assistant professor of emergency medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital, Northwell Health in New York.
"The sudden movement of his heel and foot upward, with the weight of Leonard Floyd on his back, along with his prior calf strain were important factors leading to his complete Achilles tendon rupture," Glatter said. "His age was also a factor, and perhaps the type of turf," Glatter said.
The odds of injuring an Achilles tendon increase with age, according to the Mayo Clinic. Most Achilles injuries happen between the ages of 30 and 40. Men are five times more likely to experience the injury than women.
The NFL Players Association quickly blamed the artificial turf on MetLife Stadium's field for contributing to Rodgers' injury, but doctors like Glatter are less certain.
"It’s unclear if the turf itself played a significant role in his injury," said Glatter. "Players consistently prefer to play on grass due to the lower risk of injuries." Long-term data collected by the league since 2015 shows players have suffered fewer injuries on natural grass fields.
After Rodgers' injury, Green Bay Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari, who was Rodgers' blindside protector from 2013-22, said during an appearance on the "Rich Eisen Show:" “It sucks. No one enjoys playing on it. Everyone is too scared to talk about it. NFL, just do better, be better, be an advocate for us and help us out.”
On Thursday ESPN shared an image and words from from Rodgers' social media account: "Surgery went great yesterday," the Jets quarterback said in his post. "Thank you for all the love and prayers and support. And thanks to the (goat emoji) Dr. ElAttrache and his staff for starting me on the road to recovery."
That road could be nine to 12 months long – the average amount of time it takes athletes to recover from a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Rodgers will likely have a yearlong “functional” type of rehabilitation about three months after surgery involving strengthening and stretching his calf, leg and thigh, Glatter said. "It will progress from simple strengthening exercises in the gym to actual work on the football field in the latter part of his rehabilitation that will simulate the actions and moves required of a quarterback."
Rodgers will likely return to about 90% of his strength, endurance and agility one year after his surgery, but that might not be as limiting as it sounds, Glatter said:
"Quarterbacks, in general, don’t depend on the sudden and explosive power (pushing off from their heels and foot) that running backs, defensive backs and cornerbacks typically require in their positions."
Rams running back Kam Akers, 15 years younger than Rodgers, tore his Achilles two years ago and returned in about five months, but Aker's is more likely the exception.
“No one that I know of has come back at this kind of performance in just over five months. It’s amazing,” orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed Akers’ surgery, told USA TODAY Sports+. “I can tell you I haven’t seen anybody injured right before the regular season, right before that preseason camp, and come back the same year.”
Whether he's back in five months, 12 months, or longer, Rodgers was upbeat about his physical therapy plans to McAfee.
"There’s a lot of ideas on the overall length of the rehab," he said. "Just because someone hasn’t done it a certain way doesn’t mean it’s not possible. I definitely have some odds stacked against me based on age, but I like it. Stack all the odds up against me and see what happens."
Contributing: Victoria Hernandez, USA TODAY
