Wait, what? J.K. Dobbins rehabbing Achilles with future Hall of Famer!?
You don't want anybody to fall injured. You don't want anybody to miss an entire season. That's doubly true if it's the Ravens running back we're talking about here, isn't it? Sadly, that's the case for the 2023 year.
But there might be at least some positive news coming out of it. Remember to always look at the bright side of things!
New York Jets quarterback and future NFL Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers and Dobbins are rehabbing their respective torn Achilles injuries in each other's company, as Rodgers revealed on Wednesday.
Rodgers spoke about this on the latest edition of The Pat McAfee Show (h/t Ari Meirov), saying, "I get to work in rehab with J.K. Dobbins right now, an awesome kid who's gone through a couple of rough injuries the last few years."
Rodgers called Dobbins a "fantastic player," before sayingn they are "inspiring each other to push [the rehab process]."
Both players underwent similar surgeries, although they cannot be further from each other in terms of their age and their position/skill sets. Rodgers is about to turn 40 and is a pocket passer. Dobbins is only 24 and is a ferocious rusher.
Rodgers said, "I'm trying to inspire people to look at recovery in a different way." However, speaking about Dobbins, he said the running back's timetable "might not be the same as mine," explaining that by saying Dobbins "obviously plays a different position."
Rodgers emphasized the importance of changing perceptions about career-threatening injuries, stating, "Look at it as just another injury that people can come back from." According to Rodgers, this is just another process, and these days athletes who have to endure it can always return to "thrive and come back quicker than used to be expected."
Dobbins is not expected back this year, although it's also true that he's younger than Rodgers (also ruled out for the season) so you never really know. That being said, and even if Dobbins never plays again in 2023, there must be some knowledge shared by Rodgers that he can take advantage of going forward.