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

Rodgers will play the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night, his first game since tearing his Achilles tendon in Week 1 of last season.

Rodgers, 40, spent his first 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, where he won four MVPs and one Super Bowl. He was traded before the 2023 season to the Jets, who have been starved for quarterbacks and searching for a franchise QB since Joe Namath left nearly a half-century ago.

But Rodgers’ first season with New York ended almost as quickly as it began, with him running onto the court with an American flag as part of a pregame celebration.

Then Rodgers got sacked by Leonard Floyd on his opening drive against Buffalo and injured his Achilles tendon. Rodgers tried to return late last season, but it didn’t work out.

He didn’t play at all in pre-season, but will now get his first game in action against San Francisco, the team that memorably passed him over for the first draft in 2005, selecting Alex Smith instead.

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