Aaron Rodgers makes his return when the Jets open the season at the 49ers
New York Jets (7-10) at San Francisco (14-6)
Monday, 8:15 p.m. EDT, ESPN/ABC
BetMGM NFL Odds: 49ers by 3 1/2.
Series record: 49ers lead 11-3
Last meeting: 49ers beat Jets 31-13 on Sept. 20, 2020, in East Rutherford, N.J.
Jets offense: overall(31), rush (22), pass (30), scoring (29)
Jets defense: overall (3), rush (25), pass (2), scoring (12)
49ers offense: overall (2), rush (3), pass (4), scoring (3)
49ers defense: overall (8), rush (3), pass (14), scoring (3)
Turnover differential: Jets minus-6; 49ers plus-10.
Jets player to watch
QB Aaron Rodgers. The 40-year-old four-time NFL MVP tore his left Achilles tendon four snaps into his debut last season for New York, sinking the Jets’ playoff hopes with him. Rodgers is healthy again and had a standout summer in training camp, showing his usual strong arm, pinpoint accuracy — and solid mobility. He didn’t play in the preseason, so the game Monday night will be his first game action since the injury two days shy of exactly a year ago.
49ers player to watch
WR Brandon Aiyuk. San Francisco’s star receiver refused to practice all training camp because of a contract dispute that ended when he signed a contract extension last week. Aiyuk had 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven TDs last season as San Francisco’s best downfield option. Aiyuk will need to get back to speed quickly to get the Niners offense back to its high level of efficiency.
Key matchup
Jets DL vs. 49ers OL. New York had 48 sacks and have a strong front led by Quinnen Williams. That should provide a good challenge to San Francisco’s questionable offensive line, even if offseason addition Haason Reddick remains a holdout. The Niners got a boost when All-Pro LT Trent Williams ended his holdout this week but has questions at the other four spots.
Key injuries
Jets WR Mike Williams is expected to play, but his snaps could be monitored after he was eased into things this summer during his comeback from a torn ACL in his left knee in Week 3 last season while with the Chargers. … Niners RB Christian McCaffrey didn’t practice the final four weeks of training camp because of a calf injury but is expected back this week. … San Francisco S Talanoa Hufanga is still working his way back from a knee injury that ended his 2023 season and won’t play this week.
Series notes
The Jets are making just their second trip ever to Levi’s Stadium, winning 23-17 in overtime in 2016. … New York’s only other road win in the series came in 1983.
Stats and stuff
The Jets are 1-2 in season openers under Robert Saleh, with the lone victory coming last season when New York rallied after Rodgers’ injury to beat Buffalo 22-16 in overtime. … Rodgers is 6-3 against the 49ers in the regular season, with two of the losses while with Green Bay coming in consecutive Week 1 matchups in the 2012 and 2013 seasons. He has 20 TD passes and just two INTs in those nine matchups, but he’s 0-4 against them in the postseason with only five TD passes and three INTs. … Rodgers is 11-5 in his career as a starter in Week 1. … RB Breece Hall bounced back from a torn ACL as a rookie to lead NFL running backs with 76 receptions last season — nine more than McCaffrey — while finishing 6 yards rushing shy of 1,000. The 76 catches were 12 shy of Richie Anderson’s franchise record for running backs set in 2000. … WR Garrett Wilson caught 95 passes for 1,042 yards last season, making him the first wide receiver in Jets history with at least 1,000 yards receiving in each of his first two seasons. His 95 catches are second most in franchise history, trailing only Brandon Marshall’s 109 in 2015. … New York will have three new starters on its offensive line from last year with LT Tyron Smith, RT Morgan Moses and LG John Simpson joining returnees C Joe Tippmann and RG Alijah Vera-Tucker, who’s returning from a torn Achilles tendon. … New York used 13 O-line combinations in 17 games with 14 players taking turns as starters because of injuries or poor play. … CB Sauce Gardner become the first cornerback since the merger to be an AP First-Team All-Pro in each of his first two seasons while also being selected a Pro Bowl starter in both years. … LB Quincy Williams was a first-team All-Pro and selected the team MVP by his teammates last season after becoming one of just six players since 2015 to have at least 100 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 10 passes defensed in a single season. … The 49ers are coming off a Super Bowl loss and have made the NFC title game the past three seasons. They will try to be the first NFC team to reach four straight conference title games since Philadelphia did it 2001-04. … The Niners are 3-4 in season openers under Kyle Shanahan. … San Francisco is looking to win the opener in back-to-back years for the first time since 2015-16. … The 49ers can tie Pittsburgh for the most wins ever on “Monday Night Football” with 53. … San Francisco QB Brock Purdy led the NFL in passer rating (113), ranked third in TD passes (31) and had a franchise-record 4,280 yards passing last season. … McCaffrey needs one TD catch to join Marshall Faulk and Lenny Moore as the only players with at least 50 TD runs and 30 TD catches in a career. … Niners DE Nick Bosa had 10 1/2 sacks and 16 tackles for loss last season and joined Myles Garrett as the only players with at least 10 sacks and 15 TFLs in each of the past three seasons. … San Francisco DE Leonard Floyd had the sack last season that led to Rodgers’ injury. His 10 career sacks against Rodgers are the third most of any player. … Niners CB Charvarius Ward led the NFL with 23 passes defensed last season. … San Francisco is set to start rookie Dominick Puni at right guard. He will be the 10th rookie to start a season opener in Shanahan’s eight seasons.
Fantasy tip
McCaffrey led the NFL with 1,459 yards rushing, 2,023 yards from scrimmage and was tied for the lead with 21 TDs last season. Despite missing the last four weeks of practice during training camp, McCaffrey is healthy and expected to get a big load in the opener.
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