SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Substitute Jordan Mason was in first place in a game that was best known for the return of Aaron Rodgers.

Mason ran for 147 yards and a touchdown in place of the injured Christian McCaffrey. The 49ers ruined Rodgers’ comeback game with a 32-19 victory over the New York Jets on Monday night.

The former undrafted free agent overpowered 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, usually gets more than we block. When we had the good lanes, he always hit them and got a lot of them. But JP was great today.”

Rodgers threw for 167 yards and one TD, along with an interception, exactly 52 weeks to the day after his New York debut ended with a torn Achilles tendon after four snaps.

Rodgers struggled to move in the pocket but still showed off the arm that helped him win the four-time MVP award with the Green Bay Packers in his first real appearance for the Jets.

“I can play better,” Rodgers said. “I missed a couple of throws. … I thought I got the ball out pretty well overall, but there were a couple of chances I’d like to have back.”

Mason made the most of his opportunity in his first career start. He had just 83 carries in his first two seasons, but took advantage of being one of the Niners’ few healthy backs this summer to earn a bigger role with McCaffrey’s sore calf and Achilles still bothering him.

His 28 carries were the most by any Niners player in a regular-season game in 13 years, showing he can handle a full-time role.

“I’m really happy for him,” quarterback Brock Purdy said. “He earned it. He’s the type of guy that doesn’t just get it. Seeing him do what he did tonight, I’m so happy for him.”

Deebo Samuel scored a 2-yard touchdown run and Jake Moody tied a franchise record by making six field goals to lead the 49ers to victory.

Purdy threw for 231 yards with no touchdowns or turnovers against a Jets defense that provided little pressure without tenacious edge rusher Haason Reddick.

The Niners took control of the game at halftime. They scored a field goal on a 12-play, 75-yard drive at the end of the first half and scored on Mason’s 5-yard run on an 11-play, 70-yarder to start the second half. That turned a 13-7 lead into a 23-7 advantage with the Jets getting just one kneel down snap in the period.

“That’s a championship team and they introduced us to championship football,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said.

Rodgers then intercepted the ball on the next drive on a pass to Garrett Wilson, but the ball was diverted into the hands of linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles by Deommodore Lenoir.

Rodgers threw his first TD pass in 610 days when he took advantage of an offside Leonard Floyd pass and connected for a 36-yard scoring strike to Allen Lazard to cut the lead to 26-13. Lazard caught a second TD from Tyrod Taylor in the final seconds with the game already decided.

“We expect greatness when we step on the field,” Rodgers said. “There were moments, moments that felt pretty good, but didn’t last. I felt like if we could just get a first down, we’d be rolling. But we had those three-and-outs that hurt us. I think a lot of things are correctable.”

Rodgers’ second game with the Jets lasted much longer than his first, which ended with a season-ending Achilles injury after just four snaps in 2023.

New York went three-and-out on the game’s opening drive with two handoffs and a dropped pass by Lazard before a setback on the fourth snap proved temporary rather than season-ending this time around. Rodgers’ first completion as a Jet was caught by Breece Hall, who turned the ball over to Fred Warner for a dropped fumble that set up a Niners field goal.

Rodgers got the Jets moving on the ensuing drive, converting three third-down passes to Wilson to set up Hall’s 3-yard TD run. Rodgers went 6 for 7 for 61 yards on the drive.

New York failed to gain a single first down in the first half and trailed 16-7 at halftime.

Injuries

Jets: CB Michael Carter has injured his ankle.

49ers: McCaffrey was inactive after being listed as questionable with calf and Achilles injuries. … LG Aaron Banks left the court in the third quarter with a calf injury.

Next

Jets: Visit Tennessee on Sunday.

49ers: Visit Minnesota on Sunday.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl