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During the first Monday Night Football game of the season, NFL fans were left shocked by Aaron Rodgers' injury in his New York Jets debut.
A subsequent MRI revealed an Achilles tear that could, in all probability, rule the future Hall of Famer out of the rest of the season. However, a recent development might accelerate his return and change his absence period to "the rest of the regular season".
On Saturday, multiple media outlets reported that Rodgers had undergone what is called "speed bridge" surgery - in which a brace is fitted into the torn muscle and protects it during the healing period. The former Packer is also considering platelet-rich plasma infusions to aid in his recovery.
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Fans wary of Aaron Rodgers' potential playoff return after Achilles surgery
That procedure expedites the recovery process from a year to just four months, potentially allowing the Jets to welcome their star acquisition back in time for the playoffs should they qualify.
But fans are skeptical of such a hypothetical situation, and they expressed their concerns on X:
Adrian Peterson: The injury comeback that Aaron Rodgers wants to emulate
If Aaron Rodgers somehow recovers fast enough to be cleared for the playoffs, it will not be the first time a player has overcome a potentially career-ending injury to return to the field less than a year afterward.
On Christmas Eve 2011, legendary running back Adrian Peterson was hit on the knee during an offensive play. A scan revealed tears to his MCL and ACL, and he was initially feared to be out till the middle of the 2012 season, but then he started against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1.
That was the beginning of a monstrous campaign that saw him come just nine yards short of setting the all-time single-season rushing record en route to winning MVP and Offensive Player of the Year and just narrowly losing Comeback Player of the Year to Peyton Manning.
Speaking to USA Today, Peterson said about his recovery:
"The things you guys don't see is how much I work and grind and fought through different situations to get back. Mentally, I was able to push through when I was tired and didn't want to do anything. I definitely give credit to the things I put into my off-season.
"You've got to have one believer. I'm sure there weren't many out there, but I definitely believed I could come back and be better than I was before."
His Minnesota Vikings reached the playoffs, but lost to the Green Bay Packers, led at the time by none other than Rodgers himself.
