QB hedges on a return this season

Aaron Rodgers hedged slightly about whether he’s actually going to return to play this season during his weekly Tuesday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” as he rehabilitates his ruptured left Achilles tendon.

Rodgers, who turns 40 on Saturday, has returned to the Jets’ training facility in Florham Park, where he plans to continue his rehab with hopes of playing again in 2023.

“It’s always been first, am I healthy?” Rodgers said. “And then, are we alive? Are we in it? Are we playing good enough to make a run? Can I step in and protect myself and play [at a high] level. Can I protect myself? Can I move around the way I want to move around?

“So, there’s a natural progression here to the rehab. That’s going to involve actually getting back onto the field to start to do some things that are more football related. But, we’re still not where I can make a decision on playing because health-wise, I’m improving steadily, but I’m not in a [position to] play at this point.”

Rodgers said he and the Jets “will revisit where everything is” soon and added, “Whenever [I’m] healthy enough to get back on the field, then it’ll be a full discussion and conversation about everything. Once I’m healthy, then that’s … are we in it? Can I help the team by being out there? Can I protect myself? Can I move around and do things I want to do?

“If the answer is ‘yes,’ then we move in that direction.”

Wednesday will mark exactly 11 weeks since Rodgers had surgery to repair the Achilles.

“Every week, I’m doing better,” Rodgers said. “I think the ability to not travel to Buffalo [for the Jets game against the Bills] probably helped me the most just because of being able to get those 10 days straight of rehab without the travel. As much fun as it is to be with the guys and support the guys, [the travel] also does set me back a little bit on rehab . ...

“The next step is getting back onto the field and doing some more real football things, being able to throw to my teammates and go through some individual parts of practice. That will be kind of the next step to see how do I respond.” The Jets, who are 4-7 and are on the outside looking in at a playoff berth after four straight losses, play the Falcons on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.