In a powerful display of patriotism and solidarity, Aaron Rodgers, the newly acquired quarterback of the New York Jets, made his debut on the field on the somber occasion of the 9/11 anniversary. The highly anticipated game against the Buffalo Bills became more than just a football match as Rodgers took the opportunity to honor the memory of the victims and heroes of September 11, 2001.
Rodgers, who was traded from the Green Bay Packers to the Jets in April 2023, has quickly made a name for himself in the Big Apple. Rodgers wasted no time making a positive impression on his new team and the city.
In the video, Rodgers can be seen running at midfield, holding the flag high, wearing the iconic green and white Jets uniform.
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ESPN reported:
Aaron Rodgers out to change course of New York Jets history
From Day 1 to Day 138, Rodgers has been a star on a mission to change more than a half-century of bad Jets karma. A franchise that has endured the Butt Fumble, the Fake Spike, the Sucker Punch and too many quarterback-related calamities to count believes it finally has the right person at the most important position in sports. For a change, the Jets are on the carpet and inside the velvet ropes, not gawkers on the outside.
The Jets last played in the Super Bowl on Jan. 12, 1969, a few months before Woodstock, led by Hall of Famer Joe Namath. This year, they created their own Summer of Love, watching as a rejuvenated Rodgers, 39, galvanized a team of young stars and older veterans with his hugs-and-handshakes style of leadership. Ultimately, he wants to duplicate what a 43-year-old Tom Brady did for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.
Win a Super Bowl.
“I visualize that all the time,” said Rodgers, who debuts Monday night against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC/ESPN+).
The Jets have tried this before, importing an older, accomplished quarterback to lead them out of the darkness: Boomer Esiason, Neil O’Donnell, Vinny Testaverde and Brett Favre, to name the most prominent. Only Testaverde got within an arm’s length of the Lombardi Trophy.
Now it’s on Rodgers, who knows a thing or two about darkness, to change the “Same Old Jets” narrative and get them to a championship.