This week, the NFL revealed that the New York Jets would open their 2024 season with a Monday Night Football game against the San Francisco 49ers, who are presently the favorites to win the Super Bowl according to bookies. This news sent fans of the team into a state of injury-related post-traumatic stress disorder.
Jets fans are frightened of a Week 1 Monday Night Football clash so much because, in the previous season, quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon in exactly the same situation, regardless of how good the 49ers are.
With the 49ers being the defending NFC champions and the emotional and physical wounds from the previous campaign, Jets supporters have good reason to believe that backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor should start.
With a torn Achilles, Rodgers’ body held up for just four plays in his New York Jets debut season before he collapsed to the MetLife Stadium ground. Rodgers has not yet finished the Jets’ official regular season pass as a result.
As Gang Green’s backup signal-caller behind Rodgers, 34-year-old Taylor was brought in to replace Zach Wilson, who is currently with the Denver Broncos. Taylor is in his debut season with the New York Jets.
Following his sixth-round 2011 NFL Draft selection by the Baltimore Ravens out of Virginia Tech, Taylor has been a member of the Ravens, Bills, Browns, Chargers, Texans, and Giants.
Taylor has played in the NFL for 13 years, but in just three of those seasons—2015, 2016, and 2017—did he start quarterback games for the Buffalo Bills.
As the Jets attempt to establish themselves as serious Super Bowl contenders, Aaron Rodgers will undoubtedly start behind center in Monday, September 9th’s Jets Week 1 Monday Night Football game (assuming he’s healthy).
The club will probably believe they are championship-caliber even if they are unable to defeat San Francisco by just competing with the 49ers in such a boisterous, hostile atmosphere.