The San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets close out first week National Football League action tonight at Levi’s Stadium. The game brings back to action Aaron Rodgers who missed all but a couple snaps last season, his first with New York, due to an injury.
Will Rodgers return to the form that had him win a Super Bowl and league Most Valuable Player awards while working behind the Green Bay Packers offensive line?
Or, perhaps, at 40 years of age are Rodgers’ best years behind him and he is facing the prospect that has done everything from ending the careers of presidential candidates to longtime great athletes … the passage of time.
The Jets bankbook thought Rodgers still had enough left in the tank to take the Jets back to the Super Bowl, and if they are right, while their first year at this experiment was derailed by injury, the second New York act might just be magic. It can be argued that a year off while recovering from his season ending torn Achilles injury might set Rodgers up for a big year this season.
Time will tell.
The 49ers are also led by a quarterback that had his career path adjusted due to injury … but from the other side of that equation. Brock Purdy, the last player selected in the 2022 NFL draft was called upon two December’s ago to replace an injured Jimmy Garoppolo while the player that started the season ahead of Purdy on the 49ers depth chart, Trey Lance, was already sidelined with an injury.
While the 49ers scrambled in search for a veteran that could complete the 2022 season and keep the 49ers in the playoff hunt, Purdy gave his best impression of Tom Brady on the field. I suspect John Lynch abandoned calls to bring in Baker Mayfield when Purdy looked like the surprise answer for the Niners quarterback role.
He was, he is, and he continues to be one of the brightest stars on the planet this side of Patrick Mahomes. His character is of the highest quality both on and off the field. Purdy has an understanded presence that belies his fierce competitive edge.
In his one plus year as the starting quarterback Purdy has twice led San Francisco to the NFC Championship Game. He was injured in Philadelphia two years ago while the Eagles advanced and guided the 49ers to a pair of comeback wins over the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions before dropping an overtime decision to the Kansas City Chiefs in last season’s Super Bowl.
So, will the 40-year-old flash his brilliance tonight and set the Jets on a trajectory the team paid for, or will the last player in the draft continue to excel beyond early career prospects?
This game also features a couple head coaches who know each other well. Three years ago, the Jets plucked Robert Saleh off Kyle Shanahan’s staff to become their head coach. Saleh was the 49ers defensive coordinator when they advanced to Super Bowl LIV, another disappointing loss to Mahomes and his Chiefs.
Saleh's success in New York has been sparse. Most of last year’s disappointment can be tied to the loss of Rodgers in their opening game. The Jets dismal records in his first two years in New York can also be greatly attributed to poor quarterback play. But now, beginning his fourth season, Saleh will have to get the Jets airborne, or he will go down in history with so many other good men who met their Waterloo while trying to lead the Jets to a winning season.
So, will Rodgers reemerge as a topflight quarterback with the Jets? Will Purdy complete his quest to take the 49ers to their first Super Bowl win since the 1994 season? We will know a lot more answers to those questions after tonight’s game.
But before we see him in action tonight do I want to bet against Rodgers while he is getting more than a field goal on the point spread?
No.
Bet against Purdy in a home opener?
Nope.
I’ll go to school on tonight’s game without an investment on the result.