Aaron Rodgers says he's targeting a December return from injury

While the NY Jets do battle with the Las Vegas Raiders as they try to save their season, their star quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, has provided his first definitive timeline for a return.

Rodgers told NBC's Melissa Stark during the Jets' Sunday Night Football game against the Raiders that he is targeting a mid-December return from injury. That would give Rodgers a little over three months from the time of his surgery to recover.

The four-time MVP infamously tore his Achilles just four plays into his Jets career this past September. He underwent a special "speed bridge" procedure that was intended to drastically lower his recovery time, and it appears as though he's on track for his intended timeline.

Rodgers has publicly stated that he still has a few hurdles to clear before he can consider returning, but as the weeks go on, it seems more and more likely that Rodgers might actually return this season.

Will Aaron Rodgers actually return this season?

Former Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers famously returned from a torn Achilles in just under six months a few years ago. His recovery was considered a medical miracle at the time.

Rodgers is looking to cut Akers' recovery time almost in half. That's what makes Rodgers' declaration all the more incredible and, quite frankly, unbelievable.

This is a soon-to-be 40-year-old man we're talking about. It would be downright unprecedented in the world of sports and medicine if he were able to recover this quickly from an injury that is widely seen as one of the most severe an athlete can suffer.

Of course, the Jets need to be in playoff contention for Rodgers to even consider a return. Tonight's game against the Raiders will go a long way toward determining if that's a realistic possibility.

But for now, the hope is there with Rodgers. He's set on returning as soon as next month.