By nearly any standard, Aaron Rodgers has made remarkable progress in his rehabilitation from Achilles surgery just more than three months ago.
The New York Jets have until Wednesday to place him on the active roster from injured reserve, and sources tell CBS Sports the team could do that this upcoming week without Rodgers actually playing a game this season.
The Jets are on the verge of playoff elimination, and Rodgers has publicly stated it makes no sense for him to attempt to come back on the playing field if the team is out of postseason contention. But Rodgers is nearly at the end of his 21-day practice window, and the Jets have a decision to make as they cling to a less than 1% chance they can make the postseason.
It's possible -- if not probable -- the team will activate Rodgers to the 53-man roster this upcoming week and rule him inactive on game day for the final three games of the season. He would continue on his practice routine without any "increased risk," as one source put it.
Rodgers is still not cleared for contact and hasn't participated in any 11-on-11 drills. It's not clear how far away he actually is from what would be the fastest known recovery from a full Achilles tear in NFL history. But with such great injury risk and no postseason reward for 2023, the likelihood of a Rodgers return this season seems to be as great as the Jets' chances of making the playoffs.
The Jets are 5-8 heading into Sunday's game against the Dolphins. They've already been eliminated from AFC East title contention, and a loss Sunday to Miami along with a number of relatively realistic Week 15 outcomes would officially boot the Jets out of the playoff race by Sunday evening.
