By and large, Aaron Rodgers is still a very capable quarterback. At 40 years old, Rodgers can still deliver the goods for the New York Jets, but Monday's game against the San Francisco 49ers just was not one of his better nights as an NFL signal-caller.
In the Jets' 2024 NFL season debut, Rodgers passed for only 167 yards and a touchdown on 13-of-21 completions in a 32-19 loss to the NFC powerhouse. He was pulled from the field for Tyrod Taylor late in the contest, as the Jets raised the white flag early to avoid further risk of injury to the future Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Rodgers, who also threw an interception and got sacked for a loss of five yards, admitted after the game that there's room to grow for him as the Jets QB this season.
“I can play better. I missed a couple of throws. I missed the one to Garrett [Wilson],” Rodgers said after the game, per Kevin Patra of NFL.com.
“The last drive I was in, the pick. I missed slightly inside on that one. I felt overall I was getting the ball out pretty good. We had some opportunities I'd like back.”
Only three receivers caught passes from Rodgers against the Niners. Allen Lazard led New York with 89 receiving yards and two touchdowns (one each from Rodgers and Taylor) on six receptions and nine targets, while Garrett Wilson had six catches on 11 targets for 60 receiving yards.
Despite the loss to the reigning NFC champions, the Jets and their fans must still feel good about Rodgers, who will be turning 41 years old in December. Rodgers had great moments against a Super Bowl contender and did not look stiff for a player his age and one who is also playing in his first game since suffering a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season against the Buffalo Bills.
And while the Jets' offense failed to generate at least 20 points in Week 1, Rodgers still feels encouraged by the potential of New York's attack.
“There were moments that felt really good, but not sustained,” Rodgers said about how the Jets' offense played out in Week 1.
“We felt like if we could just get a first down, we'd be rolling. We had those three-and-outs, which really hurt us. I think a lot of stuff is correctable, which is great for coaches but frustrating for players,” Rodgers continued.
“We know how close we were/are, but there's no time for that.”
Defensively, New York could have done a lot better to slow down the Niners. San Francisco did not get a passing touchdown from Brock Purdy, but the 49ers nearly had one near the end of the first half Brandon Aiyuk dropped what would have been a TD in the end zone. Meanwhile, 49ers running back Jordan Mason took over his team's ground attack with Christian McCaffrey sidelined and pounded out 147 rushing yards and a touchdown on 28 carries.
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Rodgers, Jets look forward to Week 2 game vs. Titans
The next challenge for Rodgers and the Jets will come away from home again, as New York faces Will Levis and the winless Tennessee Titans, who lost to the Chicago Bears in Windy City last Sunday.
“We're going to move on to Tennessee quickly and then we've got a game four days after that,” Rodgers said.
“This is a tough opener for us, travel-wise and schedule-wise, but no excuses. We have to play better. I have to play better. We'll bounce back next week.”
