by Liz Bonis and Megan Burgasser, WKRC

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CINCINNATI (WKRC) – New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is speaking out for the first time since the Monday Night Football game that left him sidelined with an Achilles injury.

Now, the public is getting a clearer look at what’s expected on his road to recovery.

It’s not an easy injury to bounce back from, and those who’ve had to overcome them say the right medical team and the right amount of time to heal are needed.

In an Instagram post, Rodgers said he’ll “rise yet again” after his season-ending Achilles tear.

Rick Kurzynski knows what that feels like.

“I had a right Achilles tendon. We called it a ‘shred.’ So, it wasn’t totally torn, but it was frayed,” he said.

Dr. John Linz says he’s seeing a fair number of similar injuries recently.

“So, Achilles tendon ruptures are very common in 35-to-45-year-old men. They are usually weekend warriors, so they’ll sit during the week, work during the week, and then they’ll try to go play basketball or softball on the weekends. They don’t stretch out. We get tighter as we get older, and they go and try to push off suddenly playing a sport, and the Achilles tendon ruptures because it hasn’t been stretched out at all,” said Dr. John Linz, an OrthoCincy foot and ankle surgeon.

He says the amount of pain from an Achilles injury can vary.

“The Achilles tendon down at the bottom doesn’t have a very good blood supply, so it doesn’t tend to swell as much,” Dr. Linz said.

Not all patients need surgery, but Kurzynski did.

Full recovery can take up to six months.

The OrthoCincy team reminds everyone that getting a proper diagnosis right away is critical to getting on the right path to healing.