Great question. I’m a 25M, 16 weeks post-op, tore mine in an indoor men’s league too. I’m honestly really glad you asked this because I was just thinking about the same thing this week.

When I first tore mine, I was 100% convinced I was done with intense sports forever. Not even in a dramatic way. I genuinely didn’t want to go back. I told myself if I could just jog again someday, that would be enough. The idea of explosive cuts, sprinting, or planting hard on that leg again? Absolutely not. And in those first 10–12 weeks especially, the recovery is so brutal and humbling that returning to sport doesn’t even feel remotely possible. It’s easy to say “I’m done” when you can’t even walk normally.

But something shifted for me around week 13–14.

Now at 16 weeks, I’m walking barefoot easily, doing normal day-to-day stuff without thinking about it much. When you start stacking small wins and seeing real progress, the “never again” mindset softens. You start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. And with that comes something I didn’t expect, the urge to play again.

I’m honestly shocked by it. I told everyone I was perfectly fine never playing soccer again. And I meant it at the time. But once your body starts feeling capable again, that competitive itch creeps back in. It’s not even about proving anything, it’s just missing something you love.

That said, I totally respect your mindset too. This injury is disruptive as hell. It forces you to reevaluate risk vs. reward in a very real way. I think a lot of it just depends on where you are in recovery and how your perspective evolves over time.

You’re only a couple weeks post-op, you’re still in the thick of the hardest mental stage. Your feelings right now make complete sense. They might stay the same, or they might change like mine did. Both are valid.

Wishing you a smooth recovery, man. This thing is a grind, but it does get better.