Week 1 of the NFL season always comes with some form of Opening Day jitters. Whether it’s new players on the roster, new coaches, or just the anticipation of a new season, Week 1 can be a bit nerve-racking.
Aaron Rodgers is no stranger to playing in Week 1. After all, he started the last 15 season openers for the Green Bay Packers since he was named the starter for the 2008 season.
This time around is different, though, as Rodgers runs out of the tunnel not in his typical green and yellow, but in Jets green and white.
So it’s fair to say that the Jets’ new signal-caller is amped up for his team debut on Monday night against the Buffalo Bills.
“I’d say strong to quite strong,” Rodgers said when asked about his level of excitement on Thursday. “It’s different. I’ve been in one city for 18 years and now a new team, but it was good to get the pads on the last preseason game. So, it’ll be exciting. Monday night football is great. … It’ll be fun to start the season out on Monday night.”
Rodgers’ Jets debut comes not just under the bright lights of New York City, but in the national spotlight as well. The Jets are a hot ticket, of course, and Monday’s game will be the first of five primetime games for Gang Green this season.
“Hopefully, I’ll get all the jitters out of the way, probably in pregame,” Rodgers said. “And then just go out and try to execute.”
Rodgers’ first season in New York comes off the heels of a down season, at least by his own Hall of Fame standards. After back-to-back MVP seasons in 2020 and 2021, Rodgers posted an 8-9 record in his final season with the Packers, throwing for 3,695 yards and 26 touchdowns, snapping a four-year streak of earning Pro Bowl honors.
But the veteran isn’t putting any extra pressure on himself this season, and is instead focused on being the best he can be each time he takes the field.
“Every year you set personal goals and you have an idea of how you would like to play and how it plays out. It doesn’t always work that way,” he said. “Sometimes it’s statistically less than you think, sometimes it’s way more. … I do set little personal goals. I don’t share them publicly, but I don’t look at this like I have to bounce back or do anything. I’ve just got to play the way I know how to play. I’ve been working my ass off for the last six months to try to put a better product on the field than last year, and I expect to.”
While he got a small taste of the MetLife Stadium crowd in his brief cameo in the preseason finale against the Giants, Rodgers will play in front of a regular season Jets crowd for the first time on Monday night.
And he wants to hear them.
“I just want them to show up early and be as loud as possible when we’re on defense,” Rodgers said. “There’s a lot of excitement for the right reasons, and we’ll hopefully put a good product on the field starting Monday.”