Jets embracing super expectations with Aaron Rodgers recovered from Achilles injury

SAN FRANCISCO — Aaron Rodgers running onto the MetLife Stadium turf holding an American flag last Sept. 11 gave goose bumps to just about everyone in the stadium. The sight of Rodgers being helped off the field a little later after tearing an Achilles tendon had the skin on those same arms crawling.

The Jets’ dreams of a super season ended 94 seconds after Rodgers took his first snap.

But nearly one year later, those dreams are very much alive and well. Rodgers is all the way back from that devastating injury.

On Monday night, he will run onto the Levi’s Stadium field — without the flag — and lead the Jets against the reigning NFC champion 49ers. If Rodgers can run off after the game, the Jets likely will feel confident that they can keep running toward the franchise’s first playoff berth in 14 years, at the very least.

“There’s definitely a level of excitement,” defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said. “It is one of those years where we are equipped to do this thing, so there is a different level of excitement.”

But it all starts with Rodgers, the NFL’s oldest player at 40, who may have found the fountain of youth.

He pushed to return late last season, rehabbing feverishly to be ready if the Jets were playing for something — which they weren’t. But this year, they are.

They have upgraded the offensive line and given Rodgers another weapon in Mike Williams. Most important, the quarterback looked like the Rodgers of old throughout training camp instead of an old Rodgers.

The four-time MVP moved well, rolling out and making plays. It gave the Jets even more confidence that they can do something special this season. Rodgers’ words in the lead-up to Week 1 delivered a strong message, too.

“When I take the field,’’ he said, “I expect greatness.”

Even the people closest to Rodgers, who have seen him do remarkable things, marvel at where he is now physically and mentally.

“You can’t speak highly enough about the man and his determination, and his competitiveness,” offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said. “It doesn’t matter what you do with this guy, he’s always going to do everything to not just beat you but beat you bad.

“He’s trying to shred people. I think that’s the thing that’s so beautiful, and that’s the thing that just makes everyone’s standard go a lot higher.”

Coming off a major injury, Rodgers is on a mission to prove he still is on the top of his game in his 20th NFL season.

“He lives with a chip on his shoulder,” coach Robert Saleh said.

Rodgers knows how to motivate himself. “I’ve always kind of played with something on my shoulder,” he said. “You got to manufacture things from time to time.”

The Jets are motivated to win a Super Bowl and know that their time is now, especially after what happened last season.

Rodgers said, “The goal is New Orleans,” the site of Super Bowl LIX. Vegas has the Jets as favorites to win the AFC East title, which they haven’t done since 2002.

“For us, the expectations are awesome,” Saleh said. “They’ve been earned by the guys in the locker room.”

The Jets open up with a huge test, as they face one of the most complete teams in the NFL. The 49ers, with Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk, had the No. 2 overall offense last season. Their defense, led by Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, ranked third in points allowed.

They’ve been a top-seven offense four times in the last five seasons and a top-five defense four times, and they made the Super Bowl twice in that span. Saleh was the defensive coordinator for two of those top-five finishes.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to open up our season against a worthy opponent,” linebacker C.J. Mosley said. “They fought a lot of battles, gone deep into the playoffs, been to the Super Bowl. Everything that we want to be and that we’re trying to accomplish with our team.”

Mosley said it will be “a measuring stick” for the Jets but they won’t “live and die” by the result.

It’s just the start of a long season that the Jets hope lasts into February, with Rodgers completing his impressive comeback by running onto the Caesars Superdome field.

That certainly would give Jets fans goose bumps.

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.