Aaron Rodgers says his first win with the New York Jets has been "a long time coming" after their comeback victory over the Tennessee Titans.
The 40-year-old’s first season in New York ended in the fourth snap of the first game as he tore his left Achilles tendon.
Returning to action in 2024, he began the year with a 32-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday, but finally managed to get off the mark with the Jets on Sunday as they beat the Titans 24-17.
Rodgers threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns, with one of those to 20-year-old Braelon Allen, making it a score between the NFL's oldest and youngest players.
And the quarterback was pleased to avoid the first 0-2 of his 20-year career.
"It was great. It was a long time coming," he said.
"These are kind of the games you look back on late in the season, and you're thankful you won these, because if we want to be a great team, we have to win in these type of environments against a team like that."
The Jets made a slow start to the game but rallied in the third quarter to take the lead, only to be pegged back at 17-17 going into the fourth.
However, Allen once again found his way to the end zone after a 20-yard run to make sure the Jets would be heading home with the win.
Rodgers admitted he was not happy with the first-half performance, but credited the team for staying patient to get it over the line.
"A lot of times people freak out," Rodgers added. "You have to be a calming force in there.
"I felt like the whole game we were frustrated at times, but we never got on each other. I was frustrated not getting [Garrett Wilson] balls. Didn't run the ball very well the first 2 1/2 quarters.
"We stayed confident. The defense came up with some really big plays to keep it a one-score game."
The Jets are back in action on Thursday against the New England Patriots.