Aaron Rodgers' injury is not career-ending, experts say: 'He can be the same type of athle

Aaron Rodgers was months away from his 40th birthday when he chose to return to a sport that is notorious for being cruel to his body and already He was asking a lot of it.

Now he faces the even tougher challenge of returning from a devastating injury that sent a much younger athlete into premature retirement.

Three orthopedic surgeons specializing in sports medicine told Yahoo Sports that Rodgers will likely take 9-12 months to recover from a torn Achilles tendonsuffered in just four snaps in his New York Jets debuton Monday. If Rodgers wants to play before the start of the 2024 NFL season, he could play on this schedule.

Surgeons did not rule out the possibility that Rodgers, a four-time league MVP, could approach or even equal his previous level of play. Thanks to more advanced surgical techniques and more aggressive rehabilitation strategies, athletes are redefining what is possible after an Achilles tendon tear.

"I'm optimistic that he can be the same type of athlete he was before," says orthopedic surgeon David McAllister, team physician for the UCLA athletic department.

"He's going to have a rough year with a lot of rehab, but if he continues to be as motivated and willing as he has been, I think there's a good chance he'll be able to come back at a very high level."

The Jets are preparing to startZach Wilson at quarterback for the remainder of the season,but head coach Robert Saleh does not believe Rodgers is ready to retire. Saleh told reporters on Wednesday, "I would be shocked if this is the way he leaves."

Rodgers has yet to speak publicly since his injury,outside of an Instagram post on Wednesday,but last month, the 39-year-old said he hoped his tenure with the Jets would be "a multi-year partnership." Rogers, who contemplated retirement last spring, said the trade to the Jets revitalized him and he hopes to continue playing as long as he continues to have fun and feel fit.

Now, Rodgers is missing the fun of leading the long-struggling Jets to their first Super Bowl since 1969 as quarterback. He will instead undergo surgery at a yet-to-be-disclosed date and then begin months of grueling rehab.

The purpose of the surgery is to suture both ends of Rodgers' tendon, matching its tension with that of the quarterback's other Achilles tendon. This procedure once required an 8- to 12-cm incision in the posterior calf, but many surgeons now prefer less invasive techniques to shorten healing time and limit the threat of infection and other complications.

Superior suturing techniques allow today's athletes to begin rehabilitation earlier without worrying about stretching or re-tearing surgically repaired tendons. Athletes who once had their feet in casts for six to eight weeks now waste little time before beginning blood flow restriction therapy and range-of-motion exercises. [Atlanta-based foot and ankle specialist Jason Barriteauwas interviewed by Yahoo Sports last year. 'It's the difference between being an All-Star or making the team. That tiny little percentage is everything."

Orthopedic surgeons agree that Rogers' recovery will take a little longer due to his age; a 39-year-old athlete is likely to have slightly less blood flow and elasticity than someone 10 or 20 years younger.

However, the nature of the quarterback position may work in Rogers' favor. Rogers must move around in the pocket to be successful, but he does not need the explosive lower body movement of a gymnast, basketball player, or even a running back. [Edward Haupt, an orthopedic surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Florida, says, "I'd rather be a quarterback with a torn Achilles tendon than a power forward with a ruptured Achilles tendon."

One of the difficulties in predicting Rodgers' future is the small sample of NFL quarterbacks with Achilles tendon tears. In fact, the two most prominent examples occurred well before the state-of-the-art research and technological advances of the last decade or two.

Dan Marino said that when he tore a ligament in the fifth game of the 1993 season, surgery to fix his Achilles tendon "didn't work out the way it was supposed to". However, the 32-year-old Marino found a way to adjust before the start of the regular season the following year and opened the Pro Bowl with a five-touchdown performance to beat New England.

In 1999, Vinny Testaverde of the New York Jets tore his Achilles tendon in the opening game of a promising season, as Rodgers did nearly a quarter century later. Testaverde returned the following season and threw a career-high 25 interceptions.

What will be Rogers' story? Will he recover from his gruesome injury and regain his former form? Orthopedic surgeons are hopeful. [Washington Capitals team physician J.R. Luzki said, "He's a talented athlete and he's going to get special care. I am cautiously optimistic that he will be able to make a successful comeback."