New York Jets Superstar Has Bold Message for Fans After Tough Week 1 Result

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has a message for fans after their opening-season loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Sep 9, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) stands on the field during the second quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Aaron Rodgers made his weekly appearance on the Pat McAfee Show on ESPN on Tuesday, shortly after he and the New York Jets got back from the west coast after their loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Tuesday was an off-day on a short week for the Jets, who hit the road again to face the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

The next week will be even shorter as New York opens the home portion of their schedule against divisional foe the New England Patritos on Sept. 19.

Jets fans are probably a bit unhappy about the 32-19 loss to the 49ers, but Rodgers had a message for those fans when he spoke to McAfee.

“Come along for the ride,” Rodgers said. “If you want to jump off now, jump off. But don’t come back.”

"@MichaelCole is a LEGEND..

We love how passionate the Jets fans are and we're gonna hit our stride" ~ @AaronRodgers12#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/qQr2oe5CP0

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 10, 2024

In other words, the 40-year-old former NFL MVP believes better times are ahead for New York.

To be clear, he loves the passion Jets fans bring to the game and to each season.

“We love it,” Rodgers said. “We love how passionate they are. It’s a 17-game season. We’re going to hit our stride at some point.”

To that point, he knows that, to some fans, Monday’s game was an all-or-nothing proposition, even though it is a long campaign.

“If we won we’re going to the Super Bowl, if we lose we’re the [expletive],” he said.

Rodgers played his first full game since 2022 when he started for the Jets on Monday night. The previous Monday Night opener, he suffered a torn Achilles on the fourth play of the first regular-season game.

After a year of rehab, he returned to training camp for full workouts, but didn’t play in any of the Jets’ three preseason games.

So, there was some rust to knock off.

He finished the game 13-of-21 for 167 yards with one touchdown and one interception. At times he was uneven, and after the game he acknowledged he missed some passes.

Rodgers pointed to missing Wilson on a fourth-and-1 slant route as an example of things he and the offense need to clean up.

He also executed a vintage scoring drive in the first quarter, which resulted in a Breece Hall touchdown run. On that drive he went 6-of-7 and moved the chains four times.

His first touchdown pass in a Jets uniform was to an old friend, Allen Lazard, who played with Rodgers as a member of the Green Bay Packers.

That score made him the NFL’s all-time leader in touchdown passes on “free plays,” which are those that come when there is an offsides penalty on the defense.