Jets QB Aaron Rodgers not putting timetable on return to field

NEW YORK — Aaron Rodgers said last week “anything is possible” when he was asked about returning to play this season in his first public comments since tearing his Achilles against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1.

During his latest appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” the soon-to-be 40-year-old Jets quarterback said Friday he wasn’t willing to put a timeline on his return

Rodgers said he has been progressing well during his rehab and “the hope meter is trending upwards.” Rodgers, however, didn’t specify a particular timetable on when he could return to the field.

“Some of the stuff reported about my surgery was factual,” Rodgers said. “Some of the stuff was not entirely factual. Dr. [Neal] ElAttrache did my surgery, there’s some validity on how they described the surgery.

“However, these types of injuries can take a lot of time. It can take a lot of time as it can be six, eight, 12 months. There’s been a few guys that have come back at 4 1/2, Cam Akers came back at 4 1/2, a couple of guys have done five months.

“I don’t want to get caught into a timeline, I just want to get healthy, honestly, mentally and physically. But I’m going to do everything I can rehab-wise to put myself in position to play football again at some point and that’s the goal.”

Following his Achilles tear four offensive plays into his Jets career, Rodgers had surgery last week and said on social media the procedure “went great.”

Rodgers said his next goal is to get out of his walking boot. He recently was able to ditch the cast that he was in after his surgery.

During his press conference on Friday, Jets coach Robert Saleh said he was hopeful that Rodgers would return to New Jersey and back to the team facility next week. Right now, Rodgers has been rehabbing his Achilles injury in California.

But it didn’t sound like Rodgers was close to returning to the Jets facility, as he said there are some steps he needs to take before that happens.

“I would like to be able to walk, so whenever I can walk, I probably will be back. I miss the guys, I talk to them every single day as I’m checking in with Zach [Wilson] and Hack [Nathaniel Hackett], Todd [Downing], C.J. [Mosley], Billy [Turner].

“I miss the guys, as it’s hard to be away from them. But hopefully, I will be able to get back there at some point, but I would like to be walking.”