Aaron Rodgers perfect homecoming worth wait for Jets and their fans
You can’t begin establishing a New York legacy until you get the roar of your home crowd exploding on your eardrum and reverberating through the stadium and the entire town.When the love affair you imagined when you came to New York extended beyond running through the tunnel with an American flag on 9/11 and you are its quarterback from start to finish of this home opener, finally getting to bathe in one warm J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS chorus after the next.Welcome home, Aaron Rodgers.Rodgers crumpling to the ground with his torn Achilles four plays into his 2023 debut at MetLife was hell … for him, for the franchise, for the tortured fan base.This — Jets 24, Patriots 3 — was heaven.The stadium Aaron Rodgers calls JetLife.Emerging from the darkness, just as he did.Him fearing during his darkest hours that he would never be able to make it all the way back as much as he tried to manifest it into existence.Them fearing that a 40-year-old with a rehabbed 40-year-old Achilles might not be their savior.Of course, it wouldn’t be the Jets without some confounding intrigue.As in: Why did Rodgers push Saleh away on the sideline and flare at him after the coach appeared ready to hug him following a Breece Hall 1-yard TD run in the second quarter?Could Saleh have banned all future trips to Egypt during mandatory minicamp?At any rate, there was Rodgers, back chasing his second Super Bowl championship, everyone born after Jan.12, 1969 chasing their first Super Bowl at his side.He was General Rodgers (27-35, 281 yards, 2 TDs).He may have reminded some of MVP Rodgers.Life Begins at 40?“Aa-ron Rodgers … Aa-ron Rodgers … Aa-ron Rodgers,” they chanted late in the third quarter.
And again after a Josh Uche personal foul sent Rodgers sprawling on a 22-yard strike over the middle to Tyler Conklin.And again after an 18-yarder to Mike Williams.All those years getting dominated by the Patriots, wishing that one day they could combat Tom Brady and Bill Belichick with some...