The San Francisco 49ers scored a convincing 32-19 victory over the New York Jets on Sept. 9, spoiling the return of superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers played in his first game since suffering a torn Achilles in Week 1 last season—his maiden stint with the Jets.
Against the 49ers, he threw for 167 yards and one touchdown. But the 40-year-old four-time MVP also looked a little uneasy in the pocket, getting intercepted when he threw to Garrett Wilson in the third quarter.
With the Jets still down by a huge margin in the final period, Rodgers was taken out for backup signal-caller Tyrod Taylor.
Taylor connected with Allen Lazard for a touchdown in the closing seconds but it didn’t matter. The 49ers ran away with the win despite missing star running back Christian McCaffrey due a calf injury.
The Jets pulling out Rodgers was a curious move, with NFL writer Will Brinson calling it “galactically stupid.”
Some fans echoed Brinson’s view.
“I mean, it’s the Jets,” said one fan.