EXCLUSIVE: Will Aaron Rodgers EVER be the same again? Expert reveals how long New York

Will Aaron Rodgers ever be the same following his ‘heartbreaking’ Achilles tear? That is the million-dollar question, says Dr. Ryan Minara. 

Rodgers’ New York Jets debut came to a crashing halt Monday night when the 39-year-old exited the game against the Buffalo Bills after just four snaps. 

Jets fans’ worst fears were confirmed the following day when it was announced that the signal caller had ruptured his Achilles tendon, ruling him out for the season in a devastating blow to New York, who only acquired him in the offseason. 

But Rodgers, who turns 40 in December, vowed to ‘rise again’ as he broke his silence for the first time since the heartbreaking injury on Wednesday night.

While it isn’t out of the realm of possibility for the veteran to make a comeback, he faces an uphill battle and the risk of never reaching the same level again, Dr. Minara, a podiatry specialist at New York’s Mount Sinai Beth Israel hospital, tells DailyMail.com. 

Rodgers, 39, exited his Jets debut after just four snaps as he ruptured his left Achilles 

The quarterback sustained the injury getting sacked by Leonard Floyd minutes into the game

Dr. Ryan Minara, a podiatry specialist, tells DailylMail.com that Rodgers faces an uphill battle

‘I do think that, given the fact that not only is he an elite athlete, he’s one of the best of the best of elite athletes and due to his highly-competitive nature, there’s a distinct possibility of him coming back and playing,’ Dr. Minara says. 

‘But at 40 it’s a much harder recovery than at 20 or even 30. He has the elite athlete and competitive nature working for him, but his age is working against him. 

‘No matter how much of an elite athlete you are, just by his body’s natural aging process, it’s much harder for an Achilles repair to recover and for him to return to be the same Aaron Rodgers that he was before.

‘I do think he’ll work as hard as he can to make it back but it is going to be an uphill battle.’ 

Even if Rodgers beats the battle against Father Time and makes it back to the field, Dr. Minara warns he might not be the same four-time MVP the league has seen before. 

‘I think he can return to play, but will he have the same mobility or strength as he did before? That’s really the million-dollar question,’ adds Dr. Minara, who has experience as a team podiatrist across sports, including lacrosse and triathlon. 

‘I think the Jets might have to switch his style of play. He’ll certainly be less mobile or less willing to break sacks or tackles. They’re going to have to protect him. He’s going to have to stay in the pocket a little more rather than using his legs.

‘Obviously he still has a wonderful arm. It might affect arm strength a little in terms of throwing the ball down field because you do rely on a lot of that strength from your lower body and core but he’ll still be Aaron Rodgers.’

Dr. Minara insists there’s more to the challenge than getting Rodgers back to full health. The Jets not only need to work on improving the quarterback but also their offensive line. 

‘It would benefit him and the team the most, so that he can worry less about having to escape the pocket and use his legs,’ he says. 

‘I do think the Jets should invest in an O-Line so he doesn’t have to worry about using his legs at much.’

As he was carted away from the field Monday, Rodgers was seen wearing a protective boot 

Dr. Minara says Jets head coach Robert Saleh needs to strengthen his offensive line 

It will be along journey back to the field for Rodgers, especially in time for the start of next season. 

Dr. Minara explains that Rodgers will not be able to bear weight on his left foot for at least two weeks post surgery before being able to allow a little bit of pressure in a walking boot once the stitches are taken out. 

The former Green Bay Packers quarterback won’t be able to start general physical therapy until the eight to 16 week mark, with the sport-specific rehab generally not beginning until four or six months post surgery. 

He says that even athletes have to wait until nine or 12 months after the procedure before they’re able to play at a high level.  

Around 75 percent of all Achilles ruptures are among athletes, ranging from elite athletes such as Aaron Rodgers, weekend warriors, collegiate level, according to Dr.  Minara. 

But the Achilles rupture is still one of the toughest injuries to bounce back from, even for the elite sporting stars. 

‘The Achilles is the strongest tendon in the body, it’s under a lot of tension, so when it ruptures it really alters the leg function from that point forward,’ Dr. Minara explains. 

‘That’s why it’s many times a difficult injury to recover from. Because you have to reset that resting tension, you have to strengthen the muscle, then you have to worry about the bloody supply to the area and then healing issues in general.

‘But people do come back. Kobe Bryant ruptured his Achilles tendon and he came back. Was he the same Kobe Bryant after he came back? It’s hard to say because he was already a little older.’

Rodgers’s devastating injury drew criticism of the NFL for allowing teams to play on artificial turf. Currently the league is split – 15 stadiums have grass, 15 use turf.

The league has been accused of putting ‘profit over people’, while the NFLPA has previously demanded an immediate ban on slit film turf. 

Dr. Minara cited the late NBA star Kobe Bryant as an example of an athlete who returned

The former Los Angeles Lakers star injured his Achilles tendon during a game in 2013

But Dr. Minara shuts down any speculation that the turf played any role in Rodgers’s injury, claiming it could have happened anywhere. 

‘There will always be people who complain about turf but there will be certain injuries that occur no matter what,’ he says. 

‘When you look at the slow motion replay of this particular injury it’s just a classic example of when an Achilles tendon ruptures. He already had some nagging calf injuries. He was trying to run away but he was being pinned down, so he was trying to plant and flex down his foot but due to the pressure of the defender on top of him, and due to the fact that he foot was stuck on the ground, the muscle was contracting, the foot couldn’t go anywhere and the Achilles popped. 

‘That type of injury can happen anywhere at any time. I don’t think the turf necessarily played a role in this particular injury. But it is something the NFL really needs to figure out. If there is an increase in specific injury, they need to see if the turf is playing a role in it.’