Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is likely to be medically cleared to play next week, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Rodgers getting the green light to return would set him up for a Week 16 matchup against the Washington Commanders.
Doctors clearing the the four-time MVP doesn’t necessarily mean Rodgers will get the start against the Commanders. Rodgers and the team still need to discuss if returning is the appropriate next step, according to ESPN.
The Jets enter Week 15 with a 5-8 record and will face the Miami Dolphins, who sit atop the AFC East with a 9-4 record. Rodgers previously told reporters it wouldn’t “make a ton of sense” to return to the field if the Jets had no chance to make the playoffs.
Gang Green currently have a 0.2% chance of making the playoffs, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, and are 13th in the AFC standings with four games remaining.
The reports of Rodgers nearing a medical clearance comes a day after head coach Robert Saleh said the quarterback’s Achilles rehab has been “unbelievable.”
Rodgers returning to action this season after suffering a torn Achilles in Week 1 would be a remarkable feat. The Jets opened Rodgers’ 21-day practice window in late November and he now has less than a week to be activated. If not, he will be placed on season-ending injured reserve.
