Aaron Rodgers defied conventional medicine by returning to practice just 77 days after surgery for a torn Achilles tendon.
How he did it should be the No. 1 question instead of questioning his motivation.
Even if Rodgers doesn’t play again for the New York Jets (4-7) this season because it wouldn’t make sense if they’re eliminated from the playoff race, his recovery so far sets a standard. Every player who tears an Achilles tendon should call Rodgers and ask him about his surgical procedure, how he rehabilitated, what he ate and drank. No question is a stupid one.
Rodgers had a “speed bridge” procedure that’s designed to expedite the recovery process. He said Thursday he attributes his progress to working hard in rehab and a strict diet.
“It is remarkable how quickly he has recovered from his surgery,” said Dr. Peter DeLuca, chief of sports medicine at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center who spent more than 20 years as the team physician for the Philadelphia Eagles and Philadelphia Flyers. “The type of repair he had with the ‘speed bridge’ has allowed him to participate in an accelerated rehabilitation program. It is obvious that Aaron has worked very hard in his rehab. I am sure during this recovery process, the medical staff has closely monitored the repair site to make sure it is not stretching out. The goals of rehab are to get full range of motion and strength back without compromising the repair.”
The soon-to-be 40-year-old Rodgers may have cracked the code for an injury that’s typically season-ending and normally takes players at least nine months to recover. No professional athlete is known to have returned from it in less than five months.
Former Rams running back Cam Akers tore an Achilles tendon in late July, 2021, was cleared to practice on Dec. 21 and came back for the final regular-season game on Jan. 9, 2022. Akers had 67 carries for 172 yards in four playoff games, including a Super Bowl victory.
Rodgers didn’t rule out returning before his initial goal of Dec. 24. The Jets need to cooperate and win some games. If he comes back, he’d beat Akers by two months.
Based on seeing Rodgers throw at practice on television, DeLuca, who isn’t involved in Rodgers’ treatment, still thinks it’s a long shot the four-time NFL MVP plays this season.
“He has come a long way and faster along than most people after an Achilles tendon repair, but from what I see on TV, he is a long way from playing professional football,” DeLuca said. “I truly believe he won’t return unless his surgeon feels that he is at minimum risk for reinjury and the Jets are in the playoffs.”
Proving people wrong has pushed Rodgers. He’s admitted that’s part of “his why,” as Jets coach Robert Saleh called it.
But critics have attacked Rodgers’ desire to return, saying he’s selfish and craves attention.
The same critics who are quick to point out when a player is slacking or isn’t doing enough to earn a huge salary suddenly are going after a guy who works hard to get back on the field as quickly as possible.
Rodgers also was fueled by his age and love for competition. He knows he’s at the back end of his career. He came to New York to turn a losing franchise into a winner before he runs out of time.
“I think he’s sacrificed so much already for the organization and himself and his teammates and he’s doing it again,” Saleh said. “I think it’s a testament to who he is as a human. Yeah, obviously, there’s a little bit of that drive where he wants to prove that it can be done faster than anyone’s ever done before. That’s OK. That is just part of his mental makeup. I think he still runs with a chip on his shoulder and that’s the way he lives his life where he always wants to prove people wrong, in terms of, doubting him and he’s a special human.”
In an era of self-promotion on social media where going viral with a “hot take” is a bigger priority than providing substance for some analysts and broadcasters, Rodgers was even criticized for being on the sideline with his team throughout the season, even though backup quarterback Zach Wilson and others have pointed out having him around is helpful.
“I think the cool thing about Aaron is he brings so much wisdom and perspective to the quarterback room,” said Tim Boyle, who replaced the ineffective Wilson as the starter. “Trevor [Siemian] obviously has been around for a while and Zach’s played his fair share of football, too. But, you know, Aaron … he just brings so much wisdom and confidence. He asks the tough questions in the quarterback room trying to make me think at the next level, which I really appreciate.”
If Rodgers took his US$37.5-million and disappeared to California after his surgery, he would’ve been destroyed by the media. He stuck around to be a good teammate and still hears it from the haters.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe remain undefeated in women’s doubles at the WTA Finals.
The 2023 U.S. Open champions, seeded second at the event, secured a 1-6, 7-6 (1), (11-9) super-tiebreak win over fourth-seeded Italians Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in round-robin play on Tuesday.
The season-ending tournament features the WTA Tour’s top eight women’s doubles teams.
Dabrowski and Routliffe lost the first set in 22 minutes but levelled the match by breaking Errani’s serve three times in the second, including at 6-5. They clinched victory with Routliffe saving a match point on her serve and Dabrowski ending Errani’s final serve-and-volley attempt.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will next face fifth-seeded Americans Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk on Thursday, where a win would secure a spot in the semifinals.
The final is scheduled for Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Nov. 5, 2024.
EDMONTON – Jake Allen made 31 saves for his second shutout of the season and 26th of his career as the New Jersey Devils closed out their Western Canadian road trip with a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.
Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist and Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier also scored for the Devils (8-5-2) who have won three of their last four on the heels on a four-game losing skid.
The Oilers (6-6-1) had their modest two-game winning streak snapped.
Calvin Pickard made 13 stops between the pipes for Edmonton.
TAKEAWAYS
Devils: In addition to his goal, Bratt picked up his 12th assist of the young season to give him nine points in his last eight games and now 15 points overall. Nico Hischier remains in the team lead, picking up an assist of his own to give him 16 points for the campaign. He has a point in all but four games this season.
Oilers: Forward Leon Draisaitl was held pointless after recording six points in his previous two games and nine points in his previous four. Draisaitl usually has strong showings against the Devils, coming into the contest with an eight-game point streak against New Jersey and 11 goals in 17 games.
KEY MOMENT
New Jersey took a 2-0 lead on the power play with 3:26 remaining in the second period as Hischier made a nice feed into the slot to Bratt, who wired his third of the season past Pickard.
KEY RETURN?
Oilers star forward and captain Connor McDavid took part in the optional morning skate for the Oilers, leading to hopes that he may be back sooner rather than later. McDavid has been expected to be out for two to three weeks with an ankle injury suffered during the first shift of last Monday’s loss in Columbus.
OILERS DEAL FOR D-MAN
The Oilers have acquired defenceman Ronnie Attard from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenceman Ben Gleason.
The 6-foot-3 Attard has spent the past three season in the Flyers organization seeing action in 29 career games. The 25-year-old right-shot defender and Western Michigan University grad was originally selected by Philadelphia in the third round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Attard will report to the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield.
UP NEXT
Devils: Host the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
Oilers: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2024.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns, and Kareem Hunt pounded into the end zone from two yards out in overtime to give the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs a 30-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.
DeAndre Hopkins had two touchdown receptions for the Chiefs (8-0), who drove through the rain for two fourth-quarter scores to take a 24-17 lead with 4:17 left. But then Kansas City watched as Baker Mayfield led the Bucs the other way in the final minute, hitting Ryan Miller in the end zone with 27 seconds to go in regulation time.
Tampa Bay (4-5) elected to kick the extra point and force overtime, rather than go for a two-point conversion and the win. And it cost the Buccaneers when Mayfield called tails and the coin flip was heads. Mahomes and the Chiefs took the ball, he was 5-for-5 passing on their drive in overtime, and Hunt finished his 106-yard rushing day with the deciding TD plunge.
Travis Kelce had 14 catches for 100 yards with girlfriend Taylor Swift watching from a suite, and Hopkins finished with eight catches for 86 yards as the Chiefs ran their winning streak to 14 dating to last season. They became the sixth Super Bowl champion to start 8-0 the following season.
Mayfield finished with 200 yards and two TDs passing for the Bucs, who have lost four of their last five.
It was a memorable first half for two players who had been waiting to play in Arrowhead Stadium.
The Bucs’ Rachaad White grew up about 10 minutes away in a tough part of Kansas City, but his family could never afford a ticket for him to see a game. He wound up on a circuitous path through Division II Nebraska-Kearney and a California junior college to Arizona State, where he eventually became of a third-round pick of Tampa Bay in the 2022 draft.
Two year later, White finally got into Arrowhead — and the end zone. He punctuated his seven-yard scoring run in the second quarter, which gave the Bucs a 7-3 lead, by nearly tossing the football into the second deck.
Then it was Hopkins’ turn in his first home game since arriving in Kansas City from a trade with the Titans.
The three-time All-Pro, who already had caught four passes, reeled in a third-down heave from Mahomes amid triple coverage for a 35-yard gain inside the Tampa Bay five-yard line. Three plays later, Mahomes found him in the back of the end zone, and Hopkins celebrated his first TD with the Chiefs with a dance from “Remember the Titans.”
Tampa Bay tried to seize control with consecutive scoring drives to start the second half. The first ended with a TD pass to Cade Otton, the latest tight end to shred the Chiefs, and Chase McLaughlin’s 47-yard field goal gave the Bucs a 17-10 lead.
The Chiefs answered in the fourth quarter. Mahomes marched them through the rain 70 yards for a tying touchdown pass, which he delivered to Samaje Perine while landing awkwardly and tweaking his left ankle, and then threw a laser to Hopkins on third-and-goal from the Buccaneers’ five-yard line to give Kansas City the lead.
Tampa Bay promptly went three-and-out, but its defence got the ball right back, and this time Mayfield calmly led his team down field. His capped the drive with a touchdown throw to Miller — his first career TD catch — with 27 seconds to go, and Tampa Bay elected to play for overtime.
UP NEXT
Buccaneers: Host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
