J.K. Dobbins has made an impression on Aaron Rodgers as the two NFL players recover from Achilles injuries both suffered in Week 1.
Dobbins and Rodgers have been rehabbing together, the Jets' quarterback said on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show." Rodgers, who has not closed the door on returning this season, has been fueled by Dobbins' passion as they push themselves to return stronger than ever.
"This is my full-time job, rehab," Rodgers said. "My entire focus is to do things that just haven't been done before. And I hope that in the process that they'll be inspiration for those other guys who are dealing with the same thing.
"I get to work in rehab with J.K. Dobbins right now, awesome kid who's gone through a couple of rough injuries the last few years. Fantastic player and had the same surgery as me, and we're both I think inspiring each other to push this thing. His timetable might not be the same as mine, he obviously plays a different position.
"I'm trying to inspire people to look at recovery in a different way and hopefully through this process I can get back when it's safe and right for me and also inspire people to look at this injury as not kind of a death sentence for a career, which at one point it really was, but to look at it as just another injury that people can come back from and thrive and come back quicker than used to be expected."
This is the second season-ending injury for Dobbins during his NFL career. He missed the 2021 season after suffering a serious knee injury during the final game of the preseason, and he also had a great career at Ohio State after suffering a serious ankle injury in high school.
Those setbacks didn't stop Dobbins, and Rodgers is seeing the same determination that Ravens teammates and coaches are already familiar with.
"J.K.'s a strong-minded individual," Head Coach John Harbaugh said after Dobbins was injured. "He's got a big heart. He's going to bounce back from this as well."
