SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers is returning to the field for the New York Jets a year after his highly anticipated debut with the team ended after just four plays.

Rodgers is scheduled to play in Monday night’s season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, his first game since tearing his Achilles tendon in the first week of last season.

Rodgers, 40, spent his first 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, winning four MVPs and a Super Bowl. He was traded before the 2023 season to the Jets, who have been starved for quarterbacks and looking for a franchise QB since the departure of Joe Namath nearly half a century ago.

But Rodgers’ first season with New York ended almost as quickly as it began. As part of the pregame celebration, he ran onto the field with an American flag.

Then, on his first drive against Buffalo, Rodgers was sacked by Leonard Floyd and injured his Achilles tendon. Rodgers tried to return late last season but was unable to do so.

He did not play at all in the preseason and will now make his first ever appearance against San Francisco – the team that memorably did not draft him with the number 1 pick in 2005 and instead took Alex Smith.

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