Jets' Aaron Rodgers Says He's 'Got to Play Better' After 49ers Loss: 'No Excuses'

Aaron Rodgers' return to the field was a mixed bag, and he recognized he must play better for the New York Jets to realize their potential this season.

"No excuses," he told reporters following Monday's 32-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. "We've got to play better. I've got to play better."

The future Hall of Famer also said he felt like he missed some throws he typically makes and opened up about the overall feeling of being back on the field:

Teammate Garrett Wilson was a bit more blunt and said, "You realize all of a sudden you're not there. We're not there yet. They whooped our ass today."

It is understandable that Rodgers wasn't on top of his game, as it was his first regular-season action since suffering a torn Achilles in the opener of the 2023 campaign. There was surely some rust to shake off, although he led the Jets on a touchdown drive during their third possession to take the lead.

Still, San Francisco controlled the game from there and held Rodgers to 13-of-21 passing for 167 yards, one touchdown and one interception. New York ultimately turned to Tyrod Taylor for its final possession since the game was out of hand, and the backup threw a touchdown pass to close the deficit.

Rodgers' best moment came when he drew the defense offsides like he has so many times throughout his career and found Allen Lazard for a touchdown. But he also threw the critical interception in the third quarter when the Jets were in comeback mode and threw an incompletion on fourth down in the fourth quarter to end any chances for the visitors.

San Francisco was a difficult opponent to start with, as its defense features a number of star players such as Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. The 49ers offense also did an excellent job of controlling the clock and keeping Rodgers on the sidelines.

The 40-year-old will have another chance in Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans and will look to take some strides after working his way back into action Monday.