“This isn’t so much getting ready to play as much as it is a progression in his rehab,” Jets Coach Robert Saleh said during a news conference Wednesday. “… What he will be doing in practice is no different than what he’d be doing on [a side field as reporters] watch it, with regards to certain drills. … Instead of throwing with staff members, he’s throwing with teammates. So there’s no added risk to it. There’s certain things that he’s been cleared for that we’re going to allow him to do.”
The three-week window will expire days before the Jets host the Washington Commanders on Dec. 24 in East Rutherford, N.J. The Jets will have to decide at that point whether to activate Rodgers, making him eligible to play in their remaining games, or leave him on IR and officially end his season.
“We’re not there yet. … We’re so far away from that,” Saleh said. “Like I said, the mind-set for this is more of a progression in his rehab. Like I said, he’s been cleared for functional football activity. He’s not cleared to fully play football.”
Rodgers, who turns 40 on Saturday, was seen taking the field Wednesday in a red practice jersey for quarterbacks and throwing passes. The Jets listed him as a limited participant. He was not expected to participate in full team drills.
In an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday, Rodgers said the next step in his rehabilitation process would be participating in individual drills during Jets’ practices. He said he was not at a point at which a decision could be made about him playing in games again this season.
“I think it’s always been first, ‘Am I healthy?’ And then: ‘Are we alive? Are we in it? Are we playing good enough to make a run? Can I step in and protect myself and play at the level that I feel like I’m capable of playing?’ ” Rodgers said Tuesday. “But the first part is the health. … We’re not where I can make a decision on playing.”
The Jets have lost four straight to drop to 4-7. They’re 15th in the AFC, and some media outlets estimate their playoff chances at less than 1 percent.
“If we get to that 21-day window and he’s feeling great, we’ll have that discussion then,” Saleh said Wednesday. “But right now, it’s just a matter of him progressing in his rehab.”
Rodgers acknowledged Tuesday that he would have to receive medical clearance to play in games. Saleh said the Jets and Rodgers are mindful of the risks that would be associated with the four-time MVP playing in games.
“I promise Aaron is not going to do anything that puts himself in harm’s way,” Saleh said.
Saleh initially said just after Rodgers was injured that he would be sidelined for the remainder of the season. That was before Rodgers underwent a surgical procedure designed to speed his recovery and took an unusually aggressive approach to the rehabilitation process.
“I think it’s a credit to him,” Saleh said. “I know we’re getting caught up in trying to create a narrative around it. But the true narrative is he’s old-school in the sense that he is driven. Is there motivation to be the first to ever do it? Sure. That’s okay. That’s his why. … It’s a mentality that I think young guys should be able to grasp to, that he loves this organization. He wants to be with his teammates. He wants to be here. I think he’s sacrificed so much already for the organization and himself and his teammates. And he’s doing it again.”
The championship dreams the Jets had when they completed a blockbuster trade with the Green Bay Packers to add Rodgers have dissipated. But they expect to give it another try next season with Rodgers, whether or not he returns to the lineup this season.
“We’re under the impression that he’ll be back in ’24 regardless of what happens,” Saleh said.