San Francisco 49ers' primetime season opener against Aaron Rodgers and New York Jets is filled with storylines

The San Francisco 49ers have a great record in significant games against the man who at one point could have been their franchise quarterback.

And they will renew acquaintances with Aaron Rodgers to begin the 2024 season after it was confirmed they will host the New York Jets on Monday Night Football in Week 1.

San Francisco famously passed on Rodgers in the 2005 NFL Draft, and he has often struggled to punish the franchise for that decision, the 49ers claiming postseason wins over Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in the 2012, 2013, 2019 and 2021 seasons.

Now they will look to make his long-awaited return from injury for the Jets a night to forget. Rodgers tore his Achilles four plays in to his Jets debut against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football last season.

It marks a tough start to the campaign for the Niners as they aim to finally get over the hump and win a sixth Lombardi Trophy after losing in overtime against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58 in February.

The Jets boast a formidable defense that should provide a stern test for Brock Purdy, while Rodgers — who won his last regular-season primetime game against the 49ers for the Packers in 2021 — and the New York offense features several intriguing skill-position players including Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall.

That defense is one that essentially runs the same scheme as the 49ers, with the Jets led by former San Francisco defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.

Saleh oversaw the 49ers' defense for the first four seasons of Kyle Shanahan's tenure as head coach, including in the 2019 campaign that saw the Niners suffer the first of their two Super Bowl defeats to the Chiefs. He left to the take the Jets job after the 2020 season.

It will mark the first meeting between Shanahan and Saleh as head coaching counterparts. The 49ers will also face a defensive coordinator in Jeff Ulbrich whom they are said to have considered for the same role this offseason after firing Steve Wilks. Ulbrich is from the Bay Area and spent his entire 10-season NFL playing career with the 49ers.

The New York defense features two former 49ers first-round picks in defensive linemen Javon Kinlaw and Solomon Thomas. Kinlaw signed with the Jets this offseason.

In short, this is a game teeming with storylines, and it makes for a mouthwatering start to the 49ers' latest push for that elusive title.