Aaron Rodgers will be 41 years old in December and coming off a torn Achilles. However, we need to slow down on Rodgers being guaranteed a “bad season” because of the Achilles injury and his age.
How Will Achilles Injury Impact Aaron Rodgers in 2024?
We are also in unchartered territory when it comes to 40+ year-old quarterbacks in the NFL. We’ve advanced in health and science that we are on the verge of regularly seeing the best quarterbacks play well into their 40s. Who knows though? Tom Brady might be an outlier here. Only time will tell.
Rodgers before the trade
Prior to being traded to the Jets, Rodgers was coming off one of the best stretches of his career. He was All-Pro and MVP in back-to-back seasons, and the Packers had back-to-back appearances in the NFC Championship Game.
Sure, the last time we saw Rodgers, his play dipped. However, that was due to the talent and him not being on the same page, and the thumb injury. So, there’s a silver lining.
What is the SpeedBridge repair?
The SpeedBridge repair is essentially like a splint when you break a bone. The procedure itself is less invasive than a typical Achilles procedure, and the tape and screws allow for “immediate postoperative weight-bearing and range of motion”, according to arthrex.com. That means a patient can walk sooner and start rehab sooner with this procedure, as we saw with Rodgers last season.
Impact of the Repair to the Achilles Injury for Rodgers in 2024
In 2021, Cam Akers came back, albeit ineffective, to play in the Super Bowl after rupturing his Achilles that season. He also had the SpeedBridge repair. However, his actual comeback was sooner than Rodgers’ will be. What does this mean for Aaron Rodgers and the return from his Achilles injury?
Well, for one thing, we can’t know for sure until he plays. On the other hand, it’s not viable to use past injury data with the Achilles under the current circumstances. There’s not enough data with the SpeedBridge surgery to decipher how much better it is for the injury in terms of returning to the field.
If you want to say that age will catch up to him, fine. However, to say you are sure he will take a step back due to age and injury is not correct to go about the discussion.
Who knows? Maybe the SpeedBridge is a new medical marvel that will allow people to not only get back to normal but also do it on a quicker timeline.
At the end of the day, it’s a time issue this season. We truly have no clue how Rodgers will perform, or how his circumstances will impact him in 2024. Sure, we can use the past as a guide, but in this particular case, it’s very flimsy to do so. Let’s just let it play out on the field.
Main Photo: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
