Aaron Rodgers has returned to practice, but Gio hopes that is the last stop on the Aaron Rodgers comeback train.
Gio is convinced that the future Hall of Famer is driven to prove his doubters wrong, and show that he can make an unprecedented return from Achilles surgery. But he also believes that drive is putting him in harm’s way, and doesn’t want to see him on the field in game action until Week 1 of next season.
“Hopefully he’s satisfied that thirst, or scratched that itch, and it ends there, that he was able to pull that part of it off, and him actually playing isn’t a thing, because I still think he’s gonna hurt himself more,” Gio said. “My main concern from the beginning with this is that Aaron Rodgers is more concerned with proving everybody wrong and coming back this year. That's more important to him than being healthy going into next year.”
For Gio, he hopes Rodgers returning to practice is enough to show his doubters that he can get back on the field just 11 weeks after surgery, and doesn’t push it to return to game action in 2023.
“I think he wants to be known as the guy that did this when no one else did,” Gio said. “Even if he goes out there and takes one snap and completes a pass, a wide receiver screen and then runs off the field, he can say that he did it. That that's what I think he wants to do.”
“This is why when he's out there practicing, hopefully that fulfills whatever is in him that needed to prove everybody wrong. You did it, you got back out on the practice field. You don't need to put yourself out there in an NFL game and risk having another disaster for the Jets next season.”
