Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers participates in a drill during a practice at the team’s training facility in Florham Park, N.J. on Tuesday. Seth Wenig/Associated Press
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Aaron Rodgers is throwing and, more importantly, running again – and officially putting his torn Achilles tendon behind him.
The New York Jets quarterback has no limitations as he practices with the team during organized team activities, which began Monday.
“I feel really good,” the quarterback said Tuesday. “It’s just about the mental part. These practices have been nice the last couple of days, just to feel what it’s like to be out there, moving around and not be thinking about it and see how I respond the next day.
“This is the last part. The strength is good, the movement’s good. Just the confidence to do everything.”
The 40-year-old Rodgers tore his left Achilles tendon on the fourth snap of his debut with the Jets in the season opener against Buffalo last Sept. 11. He pushed his rehabilitation with the intention to return at the end of last season, but decided to forgo those plans when New York fell out of playoff contention and he was still not 100% healthy.
Rodgers focused instead on being fully ready for this season – and he appears well on track to do so.
“He’s doing everything,” said Coach Robert Saleh, who added: “There’s no limitations to what we’re asking him to do at practice.”
Rodgers looked sharp and moved well Tuesday during non-contact team drills. Rodgers had a highlight-reel throw down the middle of the field to a well-covered Xavier Gipson that would have been a touchdown. He also connected a few times with leading receiver Garrett Wilson, including one that zipped through traffic for a short score.
CHIEFS: Receiver Rashee Rice won’t face charges from the injured person over his reported involvement in an alleged assault a little over a month after Rice was one of the speeding drivers in a chain-reaction crash that led to multiple charges.
Dallas police said the reporting party had signed an affidavit of non-prosecution over the incident at a downtown nightclub, but that the investigation is continuing.
Law enforcement officials have told The Dallas Morning News that Rice was suspected of assaulting a person early May 6, and that the person went to a hospital after the encounter.
BILLS: Linebacker Matt Milano isn’t expected to be cleared to resume practicing until the team’s three-day mandatory minicamp next month at the earliest, Coach Sean McDermott said.
McDermott added Milano has spent much of the past month working out in Buffalo, and the eighth-year player remains on track in his recovery after sustaining a severe injury to his right leg in Week 5 of last season. Milano was spotted watching practice from the sideline during Buffalo’s second day of voluntary spring sessions.
DOLPHINS: Tua Tagovailoa was not with Miami for organized team activities, because he was at a charity golf tournament in Alabama hosted by now-retired Crimson Tide Coach Nick Saban, his college coach – an absence that the Dolphins were perfectly fine with.
That said, Tagovailoa has also missed some time in recent weeks for non-golf reasons, presumably amid the talks between his representation and the team on an extension that could push the salary of Miami’s starting quarterback to somewhere around $50 million annually.
BUCCANEERS: Tampa Bay left tackle Tristan Wirfs was a no-show for the start of the club’s voluntary organized team activities.
An All-Pro at right tackle two years ago, Wirfs made a smooth transition to left tackle last season and is scheduled to earn $18.24 million this fall under the fifth-year option of the rookie contract he signed as the 13th overall pick in the 2020 draft.
BRONCOS: Denver will be without Drew Sanders for at least the first half of the 2024 season after the versatile second-year linebacker tore an Achilles tendon at the start of the team’s offseason program last month.
Sanders had surgery and is expected to miss six to nine months, leaving open the possibility he could return to action in November if all goes well with his recovery.
TEXANS: Receiver Tank Dell participated in an offseason workout with Houston, less than a month after he was wounded in a shootout at a Florida restaurant.
The team said that Dell, who is entering his second season, sustained a “minor wound” in the April 27th shooting, which also injured nine others. Dell didn’t appear to be limited as the team held its first voluntary offseason workout that was open to reporters.
GLOBAL REACH: Australia is among the countries the NFL is scouting as potential hosts for regular-season games for the 2025 season and beyond.
Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s head of international affairs, said at the league’s spring meetings that Australia is among the markets being discussed. The league recently announced an NFL Academy will open in September on the Gold Coast in Australia.
“Australia is among a set, and it’s not a small set of markets, that we’re looking at,” O’Reilly said.
O’Reilly noted Australia has a strong NFL fan base, media partners and that both the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams have global market rights there.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.