Leonard Floyd gives NY Jets fans painful deja vu with Aaron Rodgers sack

Leonard Floyd is back with a vengeance

Justin Fried

Leonard Floyd / Ric Tapia/GettyImages

Aaron Rodgers made his triumphant return to the gridiron on Monday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers, and after a promising touchdown drive, the NY Jets quarterback was visited by a ghost from his past.

With a little over 13 minutes remaining in the second quarter, Rodgers was sacked by 49ers pass rusher Leonard Floyd on 3rd-and-5 to end the Jets' drive. This marked the first time Rodgers was sacked since his unfortunate injury a year ago.

The man who sacked him last year? Leonard Floyd, then a member of the Buffalo Bills. Now on the 49ers, Floyd is the first player to sack Rodgers since his return. Sometimes it feels like the NFL might actually be scripted.

Much was made of Rodgers and Floyd's "reunion" in the week leading up to tonight's game. Rodgers told reporters last week that he wishes Floyd no ill will and that he doesn't blame him for what happened. I wonder if he still feels that way after this.

Leonard Floyd attempting to spoil Aaron Rodgers' NY Jets return

The Jets' offensive line has mostly held up in pass protection at the time of writing. Floyd's sack was the 49ers' first of the game, and the likes of Tyron Smith and others have done an admirable job against a very talented 49ers defensive line.

The Jets are going to need their revamped offensive line to be at full strength if they have any chance of reaching their lofty Super Bowl expectations this season. The early signs are promising, but there's still a long way to go.

As for Rodgers, he helped engineer an outstanding touchdown drive late in the first quarter, but it's been tough sledding since then. The Jets' offense has stalled, and Floyd's sack is part of the reason.

Rodgers and the Jets will look to exact revenge on Floyd and the 49ers over the remainder of the game.

Justin Fried

Justin Fried is an editor for FanSided who has over seven years of experience covering the NFL and various other sports. A diehard Jets fan since birth, Justin has served as the editor for The Jet Press since 2019, interviewing athletes such as Sauce Gardner, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson, Joe Klecko, and many others. Justin has also worked closely with brands like Red Bull to help highlight the niche sectors of the sporting world. His four-part series on the sport of breaking remains one of his proudest pieces of work. In his spare time, Justin is an avid pro wrestling fan who is fortunate enough to have traveled to nearly 30 different countries.