IN PHOTOS: Aaron Rodgers debuts new dragon tattoo amid Achilles recovery
Whenever Aaron Rodgers returns to the field from his Achilles injury, he will have a new augmentation to his physical appearance.
On Thursday, the New York Jets quarterback revealed his second-ever tattoo: a Chinese dragon looping over itself to form an "8" — his current jersey number. On either side of the dragon are the words "two" and "twelve", referencing his birthday on December 2. "Twelve" was his jersey number at the Green Bay Packers.
Balazs Bercsenyi, the Brooklyn-based Hungarian artist behind the design, had also done Aaron Rodgers' first tattoo, which consists of two lions and several constellations amongst other imagery. The new piece sits above the old one.
Physician says Aaron Rodgers is setting a bad precedent with early return
Last week, the world went into complete shock when Aaron Rogers returned to practice just under three months after he tore his Achilles tendon in his New York Jets debut against the Buffalo Bills.
But the multiple-time MVP had beforehand decided to undergo a revolutionary surgical process called "speed bridge", in which an internal brace was attached to the affected part with the intent of reducing recovery time. And it seemingly worked, with him being spotted throwing footballs.
And given their offensive woes under Zach Wilson and Tim Boyle, the Jets responded to it very positively, even though Rodgers is still unlikely to play a game. But there is at least one notable detractor — Chicago-based physician and writer Jalal Baig.
In a recent piece for CNN, he wrote:
"If Rodgers can return to quarterback the Jets in less than three months after a grievous injury, other players will envision similar recoveries for themselves. And inevitably, these expectations will ripple outside football to other sports."
"This is where doctors will have to emphasize to their patients, also eager to speed up the timeline of return from injury, the limited applicability of his story, tantalizing though it may be."
He concluded:
"Die-hard fans may still be clamoring for a Rodgers return to salvage their season, but most of us are glad that it looks like he’ll be taking time to heal. That’s good news for his career going into next year, as well as for the fortunes of his team."
Gang Green's next game is against the Houston Texans this Sunday.