"Speed bridge" procedure might lead to postseason return for Aaron Rodgers

So much for any talk of the Jets trading for a veteran quarterback — not that they were going to anyway. The new narrative has become that Aaron Rodgers possibly could be back for the postseason.

Rodgers dropped the clear hint himself during a Friday appearance with Pat McAfee. NFL Media has amplified the point by reporting that Dr. Neil ElAttrache used an innovative procedure known as a "speed bridge" to repair the ruptured Achilles tendon.

But if the Jets make it to the playoffs with quarterback Zach Wilson, would they bench him for a guy who hasn't played in four months? That's an important question that gets overlooked when musing about the possibility of a Rodgers return during the 2023 season.

Meanwhile, we need to interrupt the ongoing deification of Dr. ElAttrache to remind everyone that the second incision he utilized to repair Tom Brady's MCL during the 2008 procedure to fix Brady's ACL caused a reportedly serious infection. Yes, that was 15 years ago. But Dr. ElAttrache has one fairly noteworthy blemish on a permanent record that many in the media now choose to paint as overwhelmingly and unanimously positive.

Again, if the "speed bridge" works — and if Rodgers is ready to go for the postseason — the question becomes whether they'd go with a guy who has four meaningful snaps in more than a calendar year over the quarterback who will have taken them to the playoffs. It sounds like a no-brainer for now. It might now be if/when the Jets get to the playoffs.