SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Backup running back Jordan Mason starred in a game hyped as the return of Aaron Rodgers.
Mason ran for 147 yards and a touchdown in place of the injured Christian McCaffrey, and the 49ers spoiled Rodgers’ comeback game with a 32-19 win over the New York Jets on Monday night.
The former undrafted free agent overwhelmed New York’s vaunted defense with his physical running style, helping the Niners score on eight consecutive drives.
“I thought he ran like he always does,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “When you give him the ball, he breaks tackles and usually gets more than we block. When we had the good lanes, he always hit them and got a lot. But JP was great today.”
Rodgers threw for 167 yards and a touchdown and had an interception, exactly 52 weeks after his debut with New York ended with a torn Achilles tendon after four snaps.
Rodgers had trouble moving in the pocket, but still showed off the arm that earned him four MVP awards with the Green Bay Packers in his first real appearance for the Jets.
“I can play better,” Rodgers said. “I missed a couple of shots. … I felt like I got the ball out pretty well overall, but there were some opportunities I would have liked to have had again.”
Mason made the most of his opportunities in his first career start. He only made 83 appearances in his first two seasons, but he took advantage of being one of the Niners’ few healthy running backs this summer to earn a bigger role as McCaffrey continues to struggle with calf and Achilles soreness.
His 28 runs in the regular season were the best of any Niners player in the last 13 years, showing that he can handle a full-time workload.
“I’m really happy for him,” quarterback Brock Purdy said. “He earned it. He’s the guy that doesn’t get it handed to him. To see him go out there tonight and do what he did, I’m so happy for him.”
Deebo Samuel scored a 2-yard touchdown run and Jake Moody set a franchise record with six field goals to lead the 49ers to victory.
Purdy threw for 231 yards with no touchdowns or turnovers against a Jets defense that could barely generate any pressure without edge rusher Haason Reddick.
The Niners took control of the game at halftime, scoring a field goal on a 12-play, 75-yard drive at the end of the first half and then scoring a touchdown on Mason’s 5-yard run on an 11-play, 70-yard drive early in the second half. They turned a 13-7 lead into a 23-7 lead, with the Jets kneeling just once during that stretch.
“This is a championship team and they showed us championship football,” said Jets coach Robert Saleh.
On the next drive, Rodgers threw an interception on a pass to Garrett Wilson, which was deflected by Deommodore Lenoir into the hands of linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles.
Rodgers threw his first touchdown pass in 610 days when he took advantage of a free kick after Leonard Floyd jumped offside and sacked a 36-yard touchdown pass to Allen Lazard that cut the deficit to 26-13. Lazard caught a second touchdown from Tyrod Taylor in the final seconds after the game was already decided.
“We expect great things when we step on the field,” Rodgers said. “There were moments, moments that felt pretty good but weren’t sustainable. I felt like if we could just get a first down, we’d be all in. But we had those three-and-outs that hurt us. I think a lot of that is correctable.”
Rodgers’ second game with the Jets lasted much longer than his first, which ended in 2023 with a season-ending Achilles injury after just four snaps.
New York made it three times on the opening drive of that game with two handoffs and a dropped pass by Lazard and ran out before a setback on the fourth snap that was temporary this time and not season-ending. Rodgers’ first pass as a Jet was caught by Breece Hall, who got the ball knocked away by Fred Warner and recovered a lost fumble that allowed a Niners field goal.
Rodgers got the Jets going on the next drive, completing three third-down passes to Wilson to set up Hall’s 3-yard touchdown run. Rodgers completed 6 of 7 passes for 61 yards on that drive.
New York did not manage another first down in the first half and was behind 16-7 at halftime.
Jets: CB Michael Carter left the team due to an ankle injury.
49ers: McCaffrey was inactive after being listed as questionable due to calf and Achilles injuries. … LG Aaron Banks left the field in the third quarter due to a calf injury.
Jets: Visit Tennessee on Sunday.
49ers: Visit Minnesota on Sunday.
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