SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers's return to the field for the New York Jets lasted longer than his highly anticipated debut with the team last year ended after just four snaps.
Rodgers started the season opener Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers in his first game back since tearing his Achilles tendon in Week 1 last season.
His first play back was a toss to Breece Hall for 4 yards. The Jets ran again on the second play before Rodgers threw a pass that was dropped by Allen Lazard on third down to force a punt.
Rodgers completed his first pass with the Jets to start his second drive with a shovel pass to Hall. But Fred Warner punched the ball out and Maliek Collins recovered the fumble.
Rodgers got the Jets moving on the following drive, converting three third-down passes to Garrett Wilson to set up Hall's 3-yard TD run. Rodgers went 6 for 7 for 61 yards on the drive.
The 40-year-old Rodgers spent his first 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, winning four MVPs and one Super Bowl. He was traded before the 2023 season to the quarterback-starved Jets, who have been searching for a franchise QB since Joe Namath left nearly a half-century ago.
But Rodgers' first season with New York ended almost as quickly as it started. He ran onto the field with an American flag as part of a pregame celebration.
Then on his opening drive against Buffalo, Rodgers threw one incompletion and was sacked by Leonard Floyd and injured the Achilles. Rodgers made an attempt to return late last season but was unable to pull it off.
He didn't play at all in the preseason so now will get his first game action of any kind against San Francisco — the team that memorably skipped over drafting him No. 1 overall in 2005 to take Alex Smith instead.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
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