The storylines for the Jets' Week 1 showdown against the 49ers on Monday Night Football are already adding up.
There are the obvious threads to follow, from Aaron Rodgers' return to the field to Robert Saleh's return to San Francisco. But another one popped up almost accidentally after the Super Bowl and tacked on another twist less than four months before the 2024 season begins.
After 49ers star cornerback Charvarius Ward said in an interview with FanDuel TV's Kay Adams that he plans to follow Garrett Wilson in Week 1, Ward asked — perhaps rhetorically — if that was the name of the Jets wide receiver.
“I’m pretty sure I’ll be following Garrett Wilson around. That’s his name right?” Ward said. “I’m probably going to follow Garrett around.”
Now, this could be nothing. There are many names to remember in the NFL and Ward hasn't played Wilson, who's only entering his third year, yet. But this is also the second Jets player Ward has seemingly come after since February.
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The 49ers cornerback responded to a post by Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner after San Francisco lost in the Super Bowl to the Chiefs. Gardner posted soon after the Super Bowl that,"The 9ers might look better on paper but the Chiefs always find a way."
To which Ward responded, and then deleted, a post that read, "Boy yo a-- ain’t never sniffed the playoffs. You watching from the couch. Worry bout the sorry a--- JETS. Everybody got something to say about the team in the Super Bowl. Your opinion doesn’t need to be heard kid.”
Charvarius Ward to Sauce Gardner: pic.twitter.com/GP3uHYF0V3
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) February 12, 2024
Ward later admitted his response was less directed at Gardner and more a reflection of his frustrations with losing to the Chiefs.
"I never met Sauce, I don't know Sauce. I never talked to the man," Ward said. "So we had just lost Super Bowl, I get on Twitter and I see a bunch of people tweeting about our team losing the Super Bowl. In my head, I'm thinking like, 'you in NFL as well, like you didn't make the Super Bowl you didn't even make it to the playoffs. Why are you talking to our team?' I relalized he was just giving his opinion. He didn't really say anything bad about the 49ers.
I don't have no beef with Sauce. if I did I'd just tell BA [Brandon Aiyuk] and Deebo to handle that for me 'cause I'm not a receiver. He's a helluva player and one of the best players in the game."
The Jets' Week 1 game is shaping up to be a wild ride to kick off the 2024 season for New York.