Doubt really that what's driving this is the dune buggy mentality. I think it's about even odds this could be Opportunity's last gasp after reading some reports about its lack of power from that stuck heater switch. The deep sleep mode sounds like it can hold things off a bit but at the sacrifice of operating and transmitting time.

I just don't get the impression though that the Rover won't be able to get out unless they go too deep into Endurance. Everyone thinks in terms about climbing straight up whatever slope they're going down but there's always the option of zig-zagging up the side if it starts to slip too much. A craft with as low a center of gravity as it has doesn't really have to worry about the angles of attach that would require. This is a 6 wheel drive vehicle anyway. Yeah there'll be slippage but that's the beauty of multi-wheel drive systems especially ones high in torque like electric motors provide.