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Last season, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers insisted he was planning on returning from his torn Achilles if the Jets were in playoff contention, but very few believed him. However, wide receiver Randall Cobb says that Rodgers was not fibbing.
Cobb, who played for the Jets last season, said that even he and his teammates had reservations about Rodgers actually getting back on the field in 2023, but that all changed once they saw him in practice.
“We were seeing bits and pieces like, we didn't know like where he actually was,” Cobb explained on Bussin' With The Boys. “And like we keep hearing this, and like yeah, you can throw a ball like you're standing there throwing the ball, you're not really moving around.
“But when he comes back, and he like is actually practicing, I think everyone was like, wait, hold on. If we could have won just like a couple more games, I really do believe if we were in contention at that point, that he could have played.”
Considering that a usual full recovery from a torn Achilles can take up to nine months, if not longer, the fact that Rodgers was apparently well enough to actually play in a game after just three months is absolutely incredible.
Cobb added that Rodgers “without a doubt would have been able to play” had New York made the playoffs. He added the caveat that it would not have been “smart,” but that Rodgers could have played so long as he remained in shotgun formation (in other words, so he didn't have to move much at all).
Ultimately, the Jets fell out of serious postseason contention around Week 13, and Rodgers never actually made a comeback.
The Jets have high expectations for Aaron Rodgers in 2024
Nine months have passed since Rodgers tore his Achilles on Week 1 of the 2023 campaign, so he is ready to go for this coming season.
The Jets have big expectations for Rodgers in 2024 and have loaded up on more talent this offseason, signing wide receiver Mike Williams, drafting wideout Malachi Corley and addressing what had previously been a miserable offensive line. Gang Green even further bolstered an already outstanding defense by swinging a trade for edge rusher Haason Reddick.
Thanks to all of the offseason moves New York has made, the Jets are considered by many to be legitimate contenders heading into next season, at least on paper.
There is very little doubt that New York boasts one of the most-talented rosters in football, but whether or not it can translate into on-field success is the question. Of course, the Jets are also heavily reliant on Rodgers, who is 40 years old, remaining healthy and rediscovering his Green Bay Packers form.
If Rodgers looks anything like he did in Green Bay and New York is able to stay healthy as a whole, the Jets may very well make a deep run, especially considering that the AFC East is a very winnable division with the Buffalo Bills losing some major pieces this offseason and the New England Patriots in all-out rebuilding mode.
The Jets have not made the playoffs since the 2010-11 campaign, representing the longest active drought in the NFL.
