George Kittle ignites fan speculation on 49ers’ season opener with message for Aaron Rodgers
George Kittle vs. Aaron Rodgers in Week 1 would be a mouth-watering matchup, and the possibility looks real - or, at least, according to George Kittle. The NFL has started to confirm some of the games for the start of the season, with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens playing on September 5 and the Philadelphia Eagles facing the Green Bay Packers in São Paulo, Brazil on September 6.
So, what about the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Jets in one of the remaining prime-time games? At least Kittle is looking forward to the opportunity, as he shared on an Instagram story on Monday:
NFL fans were quick to ask the league to make it a Sunday Night Football game, especially with Aaron Rodgers returning from injury and with the 49ers being their biggest playoff nemesis throughout his career:
Other fans were skeptical about the possibility of Rodgers' even playing against San Francisco this year - but let's not forget that the schedule hasn't even been officially released yet:
"When do they play the Jets? if it's too far into the season there's a good chance Rodgers will be injured" , said this fan.
"I think it’d be week 1. A statement game to open the 49ers’ 2024 season: Purdy vs one of the greatest QBs of all time" , said another.
But shadows of last season are still haunting Jets fans, and they don't want to go through the same process again:
"Please don’t be Monday Night Football Week 1 again", said this Jets fan
What happened to Aaron Rodgers?
Disaster struck early for the New York Jets in the 2023 season, losing the quarterback they hoped to have for a long time in just four plays. Entire dreams were shattered on a day that was supposed to be special for the franchise.
Aaron Rodgers was sacked by Leonard Floyd in the first quarter of the season opener against the Buffalo Bills. As he tried to evade Floyd, his leg moved awkwardly, and his Achilles snapped instantly. An MRI taken the day after confirmed that it was ruptured and that he'd have to go through surgery.