Aaron Rodgers Criticized By Fans in Return from Achilles Injury as Jets Lose to 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers have been a thorn in Aaron Rodgers' side for much of his career, so it's fitting they spoiled his return to the field.

San Francisco defeated the New York Jets 32-19 in Monday's Week 1 showdown at Levi's Stadium. It was Rodgers' first game back since he suffered a torn Achilles in last season's opener against the Buffalo Bills, but the 49ers emerged as victors.

While the home team was without star running back Christian McCaffrey because of a calf injury, Jordan Mason made sure his absence wasn't felt too much with 147 rushing yards and one touchdown.

It was part of an ensemble performance, as Deebo Samuel tallied 54 receiving yards, 23 rushing yards and one touchdown, while Brock Purdy (19-of-29 for 231 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions) and Jauan Jennings (five catches for 64 yards) also played well.

But much of the focus was on Rodgers, who had his ups and downs on the way to 13-of-21 passing for 167 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He didn't even finish the game, as Tyrod Taylor came in for the team's final drive and threw a touchdown.

Naturally, social media reacted to his loss:

Expectations are high once again for the Jets with a future Hall of Famer under center and plenty of talent around him, and it seemed like everything was going to unfold as planned when they found the end zone first on a drive that included multiple strikes to Garrett Wilson before Breece Hall scored.

Yet San Francisco controlled the game from there as it built a 16-7 halftime lead and never looked back.

With McCaffrey sidelined, the home team turned to both a familiar option and a relatively unproven one with Samuel unleashing his usual versatile self with a mix of catches and runs while Mason filled in admirably with a combination of elusiveness and power.

Mason's runs helped wear down New York's defense and keep Rodgers on the sidelines, and it was more of the same when the 49ers used more than seven minutes on a touchdown drive to open the second half. Mason scored but only after Purdy found fullback Kyle Juszczyk on a deep ball as the offense continued to involve different options.

It was a mixed bag when Rodgers was on the field in the second half, as he threw an interception to Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles but also found Allen Lazard for a touchdown on one of his patented free plays.

But the free-play touchdown wasn't nearly enough, as New York struggled to get off the field on defense and saw its last realistic chance at a comeback fade when Rodgers threw an incompletion on a fourth-down attempt in the fourth quarter.

It will look to bounce back in Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans.