For the second straight year, the New York Jets will open their season during Monday Night Football when they head to Santa Clara to face the defending NFC-champion San Francisco 49ers.
The Week 1 matchup will set the stage for Aaron Rodgers’ return where, hopefully for the Jets’ franchise this time, he can get through more than four snaps. The future Hall-of-Famer suffered a season-ending torn Achilles during New York’s Monday-night season opener last year against the Buffalo Bills during his team’s first offensive series.
With Rodgers sidelined, the Jets finished 7-10 mostly because of the inconsistent quarterback play that followed Rodgers’ exit.
An added narrative to the matchup against San Francisco is that Levi’s Stadium is roughly 40 miles from where Rodgers starred at UC Berkley. The 49ers passed him on during the 2005 NFL Draft, which saw him surprisingly drop into the Green Bay Packers’ laps at No. 24 overall. Rodgers is 6-3 all-time against the 49ers.
A strong showing in Week 1 will help assert the Jets as a team to be taken seriously in 2024. Gang Green’s defense is considered an elite unit and general manager Joe Douglas did well this offseason to rebuild a porous offensive line. He also bolstered the receiving group by acquiring veteran playmaker Mike Williams to pair alongside Garrett Wilson.
