The next time we see Aaron Rodgers on ESPN’s airwaves, he’ll likely be gracing the Pat McAfee Show with one of his weekly appearances. But the next time he takes a regular-season snap for the New York Jets, will also come on the Worldwide Leader.
On Tuesday, it was revealed that Rodgers and the Jets will open their second consecutive season on Monday Night Football. After opening the 2023 season against the Buffalo Bills, which saw Rodgers injure his Achilles just four snaps into his Jets tenure, New York will open up again on prime-time—this time against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium.
The Week 1 Monday Night Football opener: New York Jets at San Francisco 49ers.
For the second straight season, Aaron Rodgers returns to the Monday Night Football Week 1 opener. pic.twitter.com/TUtlhwepsP
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 14, 2024
Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will presumably have the call—just as they did when Rodgers made his Jets debut against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 of 2023. And there will be no shortage of storylines for the ESPN team to discuss. Not only will Rodgers’ return from Achilles injury be the central focus, but so will his ability to play more than four snaps.
Because of his ill-timed injury, Zach Wilson was the next man up in New York’s quarterbacks room. And that led to a bevy of games on national TV that included Wilson, Tim Boyle or Trevor Siemian starting under center for Gang Green. There’s hype surrounding New York again, but it remains to be seen if the NFL graces the Jets with as many primetime games as it did a season before.
The league has yet to reap the benefits of Rodgers playing in one of the biggest markets in the country. So, it’s not exactly a surprise that the Jets will open up against the defending NFC Champions.
This Week 1 matchup only adds another layer of drama for Rodgers. A California native, the 49ers were his boyhood team. And after being passed over by them in the 2005 draft— in favor of Alex Smith— Rodgers will face his hometown team for the 10th time (6-3 record), eager to prove the doubters wrong.
But Rodgers isn’t the only storyline here.
This will be the first time that former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh will face off against his former team and former coaching staff. The Jets roster and coaching staff includes many faces that spent time in San Francisco under Saleh and head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Additionally, it should also be noted that this offseason the 49ers acquired Leonard Floyd, the former Buffalo Bills defender who tackled Rodgers when he suffered his season-ending injury. So that’ll undoubtedly be a talking point as well.
With no shortage of intrigue here, it’s unsurprising that ESPN wanted this game for Week 1.
[Adam Schefter on X]
