Aaron Rodgers takes center stage again on Monday Night Football. Let’s hope this season doesn’t begin like his last one.
Rodgers and the New York Jets will face the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football to end Week 1 of the 2024-25 NFL season.
Rodgers returns from an Achilles tear he suffered during the Monday Night Football opener last season, when he could only play four snaps before being sidelined for the rest of the year.
The 49ers begin their season after a failed Super Bowl run last year and an emotional week, following a harrowing incident involving rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall, who is recovering from a gunshot wound during an attempted robbery.
The 49ers host the Jets Monday night at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, at 8:20 p.m. ET (5:20 p.m local).
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The game between the San Francisco 49ers at New York Jets will be broadcast nationally on ABC and ESPN.
The Monday Night Football game can be streamed on ESPN+ and on Fubo.
The 49ers (-200) are the moneyline favorites over the Jets (+165) with an over/under set at 43.5 points and a 3.5-point spread, according to BETMGM.
Aaron Rodgers, a four-time NFL MVP, returns to action after his Achilles tear spoiled his debut with the Jets following 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers. Will Rodgers return to his MVP form or play like a 40-year-old? While Tom Brady may have construed the latter part of that question, Rodgers must prove he is worth all the fuss in New York. He’ll lean on running back Breece Hall and wide receiver Garrett Wilson to find his form again on offense.
Brock Purdy, 24, returns for his third season as the 49ers starting quarterback. He may still have plenty to prove to naysayers questioning his ability, but he has a 17-4 record during the regular season and 4-2 playoff record through two seasons. With one of the most talented cores in the NFL with running back Christian McCaffrey, receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, and left tackle Trent Williams, Purdy should help the 49ers excel again offensively this season.
It’s easy to list Rodgers here for obvious reasons, but the 49ers’ star running back has been dealing with a calf injury for much of training camp. McCaffrey’s effectiveness, depending on his workload, could force the 49ers to depend more on Purdy in the opener if he’s not healthy enough. Although the rest during training camp should help McCaffrey, it’s still something worth monitoring on Monday night.
Here are the USA TODAY Sports staff’s predictions for the Monday Night Football opener:
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