It had been one year, one week and one day since Aaron Rodgers took a snap at MetLife Stadium. Acquired to be the long-suffering Jets’ savior, the four-time NFL MVP quarterback suffered a torn Achilles on Sept. 11, 2023, on the fourth offensive play of his debut season in East Rutherford — a devastating blow for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. The 12 months that followed were filled with rehab, headlines and, at long last, Rodgers’ return to the field less than two weeks ago in San Francisco. It all led to Thursday night. Thursday’s Week 3 matchup between the Jets and the rival Patriots marked Rodgers’ first home game since the injury. 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The crowd remained rowdy as Rodgers hit Garrett Wilson for a 6-yard pass on the first play of the opening drive — his first completion as a Jet in the Meadowlands. It grew rowdier as Rodgers rolled to his left and picked up a first down with a 5-yard run on the next play. A sense of relief hung over the stadium as Rodgers got up from his first sack, which ultimately led to the Jets punting on their first possession. And the crowd exploded as Rodgers completed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Allen Lazard on the Jets’ next drive, delivering the kind of MetLife Stadium highlight the Jets had long envisioned. “It has been a long time since I took the field at [MetLife Stadium], so a lot of emotions for sure,” Rodgers said Tuesday. “But thankfully, we are already into the third game of the season. Played two full games. Body feels good as good as it can on a short week.” Thursday marked the Jets’ third game in 11 days — a demanding feat for any player, let alone a veteran quarterback in his 20th professional season Rodgers led the Jets to a 1-1 record through the first two weeks, totaling 343 passing yards, three touchdowns and an interception in a 32-19 loss to 49ers and in Sunday’s 24-17 win over the Titans in Nashville. That set the stage for Thursday’s return. “I’m actually shocked how excited I am for it,” said Nicole Esther, 50, a Jets season-ticket holder from Warwick, N.Y.  “I didn’t think we would be able to be any more excited than we were last year for the opener, but maybe it’s because we’ve actually seen Aaron play a few games. That gets you really hyped up about it.” The Jets traded a package of draft picks to the Packers for Rodgers in April 2023, hoping the future Hall of Famer would lead them back to the playoffs for the first time in over a decade and to their first championship since 1969. Prognosticators hyped the Jets as legitimate contenders, hailing Rodgers as the missing piece on a roster already boasting a stout defense and playmakers in Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson. That hype reached its peak in the 2023 opener against the Bills, but cheers turned to gasps after Leonard Floyd’s sack on the Jets’ opening drive injured Rodgers, derailing a season in which Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemian and Tim Boyle ended up combining for 16 starts at quarterback. Rodgers maintained hope he could make an unprecedented in-season comeback last year after undergoing an operation in which an internal brace known as a “speed bridge” was placed on his injured tendon in an effort to expedite his return. But the Jets were eliminated from playoff contention on Dec. 17, and two days later, Rodgers acknowledged he was not 100% healthy 14 weeks after the surgery. That meant the home crowd had to wait until Thursday to see Rodgers play. And while some fans touted sky-high expectations, others entered with cautious optimism. “We were here last year for the [opener], and what an emotional rollercoaster that was,” said Roma Abinanti, 63, of Port Jefferson, N.Y. “Everybody had their hopes up that, finally — oh my God, finally — something could happen, and that it was like, ‘Oh, no!’” “He played two games,” added her partner, Joe Abinanti, 73, who has been a season-ticket holder since 1978. “He didn’t get killed. Let’s see what happens.” Rodgers, too, was eager for the opener. “If you love the game, it will always be emotional,” Rodgers said Tuesday. “There will be emotion this week as it always is during the year and seeing the crowd and night game, the excitement driving up to the stadium, and seeing the tailgates happening. It’s always fun.”