When Aaron Rodgers went down with a torn Achilles just four snaps into his New York Jets’ career, many fans worried that he had played his last down of football. Since then, Rodgers has been very blunt that he will come back from the injury and even left the door open to return for the playoffs this season. While that may be far-fetched, it’s clear that he is motivated to get back on the field.

Despite his optimism, that has not stopped the media and fans from being more pessimistic. Rodgers will be 40 years old at the end of his recovery from the most feared injury in football. His recovery will not be easy already, but his age has made it even more difficult to envision him returning to greatness.

NFL analyst Colin Cowherd is among those looking at his future with a bit more of a bleak outlook. He revealed some dire truth about Rodgers’ comeback hopes.

“It’s a brutal surgery for a 24 year old… You’re going to get less Aaron Rodgers when he gets back.”

The concerns are legitimate in this scenario. Even if Rodgers does return to the field, will he be able to get back to being dominant? Can he still extend plays like he has at an elite level throughout his entire career?

Simply getting a less mobile version of Rodgers back on the field would be worth it for the Jets. This isn’t saying that he can’t be an impact player. But, a lesser version of Rodgers should be expected when his recovery process is completed.

Even last season with the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers showed major signs of regression. Some of the blame can be put on the team around him and having a group of extremely unproven and young receivers. However, Rodgers did not look like his MVP self in 2022 either.

Hopefully, this recovery process goes perfectly and even at 40 years old Aaron Rodgers can get back to playing like himself. The reality of the situation is concerning though and needs to be viewed as such. All we can do now is hope for a feel-good story for Rodgers and his return to the field from such a brutal injury.