In his return to the gridiron, Aaron Rodgers couldn’t consistently find an offensive rhythm in his first full game as quarterback of the New York Jets, falling to the San Francisco 49ers 32-19.
Rodgers’ first pass of the season was dropped by Allen Lazard, and the 40-year-old four-time NFL MVP then connected with his former Green Bay Packers teammate for a 36-yard score for his first touchdown pass in New York.
Rodgers didn’t seem hesitant at first, even though he played four offensive snaps in his first season with the Jets last year before tearing his Achilles tendon.
Interestingly, the Buffalo Bill who sacked Rodgers on the play, Leonard Floyd, now plays for the 49ers and attempted to take him down the field again, recording a sack of the Jets’ leadoff man in the second quarter.
Rodgers finished the game 13 of 21 for 167 yards. He also had one touchdown and one interception.
Aaron Rodgers was unsuccessful in his return with the New York Jets and lost to the San Francisco 49ers
Ricky Pearsall reunited with the two lifeguards who helped save his life last month
San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey is inactive tonight against the Jets
Rodgers completed his first pass for the Jets to start their second drive with a shovel pass to Hall, but Fred Warner punched the ball away and Maliek Collins recovered the loose ball. The play was Rodgers’ fourth of the season for New York.
Rodgers got the Jets moving on the ensuing drive, converting three third-down passes to Garrett Wilson to set up Hall’s 3-yard touchdown run. Rodgers completed 6 of 7 passes for 61 yards on the drive.
Rodgers, 40, spent his first 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, where he won four MVPs and a Super Bowl. He was traded before the 2023 season to the quarterback-hungry Jets, who have been searching for a franchise quarterback since Joe Namath left nearly a half-century ago.
San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey was inactive for the game due to a calf injury, leading to Jordan Mason taking the backfield job for the 49ers.
McCaffrey is considered one of the best running backs in the NFL, if not the best, and his absence seemingly changed the game plan for both teams.
However, Mason tore through the Jets’ defense on 28 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown.
Jordan Mason torched the Jets’ defense with more than 100 rushing yards as McCaffrey’s replacement.
Rodgers will have to wait at least one more week to get his first victory as a New York Jets player
49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was on the sidelines of the game and reunited with first responders who helped save his life after he was shot during a robbery last month.
Pearsall was joined on the field by Staff Sgt. Joelle Harrell and Dr. Lucy Kornblith, who each presented her with a signed jersey midway through the first quarter.
Pearsall was wearing street clothes and had no obvious signs of lingering injuries from the shooting nine days after it happened.
The rookie first-round draft pick suffered a gunshot wound to the chest during the altercation and is in serious but stable condition.
Pearsall was reportedly targeted for his Rolex watch. The 23-year-old from Arizona was a week away from his first NFL game, though his status for tonight’s game was already marred by a shoulder injury.
Rodgers’ performance comes on the same day that the first trailer for his Netflix documentary ‘Aaron Rodgers: Enigma’ was released.
