Injury expert has shocking return prediction about Jets' Aaron Rodgers

Whispers about New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers making a shocking return to the playing field this season after he suffered a torn Achilles on Sept. 11 are growing louder. 

For a piece published Monday, CBS Sports HQ injury expert Marty Jaramillo told CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin that Rodgers is "absolutely" on track to play for the Jets before Week 18. 

"He's moving almost three times as fast as traditional protocols," Jaramillo said about Rodgers. "No boot, no crutches, minimal limp. It's quite exponential. There is no precedent for this type of recovery following an Achilles tear. He is beating back Father Time."

Specifically, Jaramillo predicted that Rodgers could potentially start for the Jets as early as Week 15 when they play at the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 17. 

Jaramillo offered his take after Rodgers was spotted walking without crutches and tossing pregame passes hours before New York defeated the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. Jets head coach Robert Saleh later told NBC Sports' Peter King that Rodgers is "absolutely dominating rehab" and "really wants to get back this year," and NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk revealed on Monday that "some in the medical community wonder whether Rodgers actually suffered a full tear of the Achilles, or whether it was just a partial tear." 

NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero noted on Sept. 16 that well-known orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache placed a so-called "speed bridge" on Rodgers' Achilles during surgery that "protects the repair and opens up the possibility of an earlier return." Jaramillo pointed out that Dr. ElAttrache's technique "allows for early weight-bearing" so soon after surgery. 

"By month four or even three at this pace — or shall we say at a Rodgers pace — he would be at the equivalent of month nine or 10 of traditional healing," Jaramillo added. 

The ESPN Press Room website (h/t The Comeback) mentions that Jaramillo "has more than 30 years of experience as an athletic trainer" and "has been a practicing sports and orthopedic physical therapist and strength and conditioning coach for nearly three decades." Jaramillo isn't treating Rodgers but presumably knows plenty about what the 39-year-old is experiencing during his recovery, and it sounds like the future Hall of Famer reclaiming his spot atop the Jets' depth chart in December is no longer an unrealistic goal. 

Perhaps ESPN's Mike Greenberg has been right about Rodgers throughout October, after all: