The New York Jets will open the season on Monday Night once again and will hope for better results than 2023.

Four plays into the season, Aaron Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles and was out for the season. Now, the Jets will enter the season with major hype once again taking on the reigning NFC champion San Francisco 49ers.

There will be plenty to watch in tonight’s contest but what tops the list?

4. Aaron Rodgers’ return to action

All eyes will be on Rodgers has he returns to the field off an Achilles injury at 40 years old. What can go wrong? The Jets are hoping it all goes smoothly and Monday night begins a run to the Super Bowl. For casual fans, they get to watch the four-time MVP take the field once again.

Let’s face it, we all knew he was not going to return in 2023. Despite many rumors and comments from Rodgers himself, there was no reason to push his health and rush back to a team going nowhere. This season, that is not the case and fans hope Rodgers can stay on the field for 17 games.

3. 49er rust

The major story of the offseason was the holdout situation surrounding Brandon Aiyuk. Between social media posts shared by Aiyuk and trade rumors, it was unknown where Aiyuk would land. Ultimately, he remains in San Francisco. As the season approached, Trent Williams also threatened a holdout due to his contract situation. The Niners were able to renegotiate his deal and San Francisco will have the league’s best left tackle as the anchor on Monday night.

The question is, will there be rust? This is more likely for Aiyuk than Williams. As a wide receiver, it is important to get the reps in practice to get ready for the season. It is unknown if this will show as he is a veteran of the team and knows the offense well but it is always a talking point, especially if he comes out slow in the first half.

2. How good is this Jets’ defense?

The Jets defense was once compared to the ’85 Bears — not by anyone outside of the locker room. That was not the case last season, despite having an elite unit. There were question marks around the Jets’ defense and was not as dominant as many thought. This season, Bryce Huff is gone. John Franklin-Myers is gone. Hassan Reddick was acquired in a trade and continues to hold out. Will the defense be as dominant as expected?

Of course, the star power is there with Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams, along with many others. The pass rush could be slowed down by a talented offensive line for San Francisco, especially with Williams returning.

1. Overall health

Health remains the major story in this game. Yes, Rodgers will be at the forefront but Christian McCaffrey has also been dealing with an ankle/Achilles injury. There are superstars that have missed time in this game and have a history of injuries. For the sake of the matchup, we hope that is not the case on Monday night.