There’s a strong likelihood the New England Patriots won’t face Aaron Rodgers in their season finale against the New York Jets in Week 18.
The legendary quarterback gave an update on his recovery from the torn Achilles he suffered in the regular season opener. According to Rodgers, he’s still three-to-four weeks out from possibly being at 100 percent.
With the Jets already eliminated from the playoffs, that likely puts his availability for the rest of the season, most notably the Week 18 meeting against the Patriots, in doubt.
“I do feel like in the next three-to-four weeks it would be very possible to get to 100 percent, but I’m obviously not there,” Rodgers said, when appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday. “So the conversation was away from 100 percent medical clearance to a willingness to play, and that’s never been a problem for me. …If I was 100 percent today, I’d be definitely pushing to play.”
It doesn’t make sense for Rodgers to push himself when the team isn’t playing for anything. He’d be putting himself at risk for another injury and prolonging his layoff.
Without Rodgers, the Patriots could be favorited at home against a Jets team they’ve owned for years. The Patriots have 15 straight wins in the head-to-head matchups. Losing the last three games would help New England’s chances of landing a top pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
However, a win would obviously hurt those chances, depending on what happens with the rest of the league.
