-
Anthony Gharib, ESPN
Aaron Rodgers’ season was effectively over after just one drive when he suffered a torn Achilles in the New York Jets’ season opener. A torn Achilles is one of the more challenging injuries to recover from for any player, let alone for a near 40-year-old in his 19th season.
But, in recent days, Rodgers has expressed optimism that he can return this season. On “The Pat McAfee Show” last week, he said he’s “well ahead of the normal protocols.” Rodgers showed up to the Jets’ “Sunday Night Football” game against the Kansas City Chiefs two weeks ago, crutches in hand and walking gingerly.
On another “The Pat McAfee Show” appearance on Tuesday, Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins — who is also rehabbing a torn Achilles — interrupted Rodgers’ interview to encourage the quarterback to get back to work.
J.K. Dobbins crashed Aaron Rodgers interview on the @PatMcAfeeShow to get back to his rehab 😂
“You are not working. … I’m out here working, I see [Aaron Rodgers] on the TV talking on the phone. … I’m on my second sweat.” pic.twitter.com/tDj5sDr0fO
— ESPN (@espn) October 10, 2023
Whether or not Rodgers will return this season is still up in the air — though the Jets didn’t share a recovery timeline, according to ESPN’s Stephania Bell, it takes three to four months for the tendon to heal completely. Rodgers will then be able to ramp up his rehab. Rodgers believes he can come back quicker than expected, but will he be the same when he does?
For other big names who suffered the injury, post-recovery production has varied. Here’s how other top athletes fared in their return from a torn Achilles.
Five games into the 1993 season, Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino tore his Achilles a year after making the Pro Bowl. The 32-year-old made a full recovery in time to be the starting quarterback for the 1994 season.
Marino came back like he never left, throwing for 4,453 yards and 30 touchdowns to earn another Pro Bowl appearance and Comeback Player of the Year honors. He ended up playing five more seasons after the injury.
Vinny Testaverde, New York Jets
The most recent Jets quarterback to tear his Achilles before Rodgers was Vinny Testaverde in the 1999 season opener. Testaverde opened the next season as the Jets’ starting quarterback, throwing for 3,732 yards, but just 21 touchdowns and 25 interceptions.
When he tore his Achilles, Testaverde was 36 and playing in his 158th game, 73 fewer than Rodgers. But, he managed to spend eight more seasons in the NFL.
If there’s an outlier in the recovery time of a torn Achilles, Minnesota Vikings running back Cam Akers may take the throne. Akers suffered the injury in July 2021, yet the Los Angeles Rams elevated him to the active roster on Dec. 25, 2021. Two weeks later, he appeared on the field.
Then 22, Akers defied the odds and made a five month recovery. He’s played in two seasons since, running for 786 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022 with the Rams, both career highs.
Kobe Bryant’s torn Achilles in April 2013 when he was 34 could have signaled the end of his career. In some ways, it did — Bryant’s production took a hit and he appeared in just 41 games in the next two seasons as injuries piled up. He did return for 66 games in his final NBA season and averaged 17 points per game.
Bryant and Rodgers are similar in that they both suffered the injury late in their careers. Bryant was in his 17th season with 1,459 regular season and playoff game appearances. However, he made his return on Dec. 8, almost eight months after tearing his Achilles.
A calf injury delayed Kevin Durant’s return to action before he tore his Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals. During the 2023 offseason, Rodgers had a minor calf injury, though it healed up by the start of the season.
The similarities between the two stop there for now. The 30-year-old Durant missed the entire 2019-20 pandemic season, but he made a swift return the next year. He has averaged 28.8 points per game in three seasons since tearing his Achilles.
The high-flying Atlanta Hawks star tore his Achilles in January 1992. He made his return in November and averaged 29.9 points, earning an eighth straight All-Star appearance.
When Wilkins suffered his injury, he was 32 and in his 10th season. He ended up playing six more seasons in the NBA, retiring at 39.
After a strong 2011 season, Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard tore his Achilles in Game 5 of the NLDS. The 31-year-old made his return in July 2012, nine months after his injury.
Howard continued to play for five more seasons — but he was never quite the same hitter. He amassed 96 home runs and 330 RBIs while batting .226 before retiring in 2016.