Eleven weeks after rupturing his left Achilles tendon in the 2023 season-opener, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been cleared to return to practice.

Under NFL roster rules, the Jets now have 21 days to activate the four-time NFL MVP. Rodgers has said publicly in recent weeks that he was targeting the Dec. 24 home game vs. the Washington Commanders to potentially return to the field, though head coach Robert Saleh pumped the brakes on that idea a little Wednesday.

“This isn’t so much getting ready to play as much as it is a progression in his rehab,” Saleh said. “For Aaron, what he’ll be doing in practice is no different than what he’d be doing on [a side field] with regard to certain drill and individual. Instead of throwing with staff members, he’ll be throwing to teammates. There’s no added risk to it. There are certain things that he’s been cleared for that we’ll allow him to do.”

Should he return to game action this season, however, it would comprise a remarkable recovery for Rodgers, who turns 40 on Dec. 2. Achilles injuries are generally considered career-threatening, and to resume playing within the same season would be largely unprecedented.

Rodgers was traded to the Jets from the Green Bay Packers in April, in one of the more-high profile transactions in recent NFL history. He made it just four snaps into his tenure in New York before he was injured while being sacked by the Buffalo Bills’ Leonard Floyd on Sept. 11, and underwent surgery three days later.

The Jets are 4-7 this season, but still mathematically alive for a playoff berth with six games remaining. Zach Wilson finished the opener after Rodgers was injured — with the Jets rallying for a 22-16 overtime victory — and started the next nine games before being benched in the third quarter of a Nov. 19 loss to Buffalo in favor of journeyman backup Tim Boyle, who started last Sunday’s loss vs. Miami.

The Jets host Atlanta on Sunday, then host Houston on Dec. 10 before traveling to Miami Dec. 17. After they host the Commanders on Christmas Eve, the Jets finish the regular season at Cleveland Dec. 28 (a Thursday night) and at New England on Jan. 7.