How Jets’ Aaron Rodgers fared in long-awaited return, plus what it means for veteran QB and team going forward

Aaron Rodgers made his return to the NFL on Monday as the Jets quarterback played in his first game since suffering a season-ending Achilles tear to begin the 2023 season. The stage was nearly identical for Rodgers. New York was playing under the lights of “Monday Night Football” to begin the season in Week 1, which is exactly where he went down with the injury a year ago. This time around, Rodgers was able to get out of the game healthy, but not as the victor. In the Jets’ 32-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Rodgers flashed some glimpses of his former MVP self, but the New York offense was largely marred with inconsistency in the losing effort. 

On the opening drive of the game, Rodgers only dropped back to pass once, coming on a third-and-3 attempt at the New York 37-yard line. The 40-year-old signal-caller hit Allen Lazard squarely in the hands, but the veteran receiver dropped the ball, resulting in a Jets punt. Rodgers then had a shuffle pass to Breece Hall on the first play of New York’s second drive, which the back fumbled to give the ball to San Francisco. 

Through the first couple of drives of the game, Rodgers didn’t do too much, but that was largely due to circumstances around him. One of the peaks for Rodgers in this Week 1 opener came during New York’s third possession. He helped orchestrate a 12-play, 70-yard scoring drive that culminated in a goal-line run by Hall. It was during this drive were we got a glimpse of what this offense is capable of. 

Rodgers completed all but one of his seven attempts on the drive, including three completions on third down, Each of those conversions went to Garrett Wilson, and the connection between the quarterback-receiver duo seemed to be in midseason form at that juncture. Rodgers first hit him on a back-shoulder throw up the left sideline to convert on a third-and-8. 

The duo connected three plays later over the middle on a…

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Author : Tyler Sullivan

Publish date : 2024-09-10 04:49:14

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