It seemed like a matter of time.
Tyler Conklin is a pass-catching tight end who has been one of the Jets' most reliable and productive pass catchers over the past two seasons.
A healthy Aaron Rodgers throwing him the ball this year was expected to push those numbers higher.
And yet Conklin entered the Jets' home opener Thursday night against the Patriots at MetLife Stadium with two 16-yard receptions in the first two games.
The Jets' third game of the season proved that two games was too small a sample size to determine where Conklin's season is headed.
He caught five passes for 93 yards and was an integral part of the Jets' 24-3 victory over the Patriots.
Conklin's lack of involvement in the passing game had been curious after he was such a consistent pass catcher the previous two seasons, catching 61 passes for 621 yards last season and 58 for 552 yards and four TDs in 2022.
“I'm not worried about that,” Conklin told the Post before the game of his poor performance so far. “Those things will come. I'm not worried about who's going to get the ball.”
Conklin said after the game: “What did I tell you the other day? That sooner or later they would come. Today, by chance, they flew a little bit towards me.”
Conklin was Rodgers' best friend that night.
It was Rodgers' departure on several classic Rodgers improvisational plays, where he would come out of the pocket and find the open man.
He caught a 22-yard field goal on second-and-17 on the second scoring drive and another 22-yard field goal on third-and-9 late in the first half.
And then, on the Jets' first scoring drive of the third quarter, he kept the drive alive with an 18-yard reception on third-and-3.
On the 18-yard gain, Conklin took one look at the end zone and it looked like big, inviting green grass.
He didn't score a TD last season and doesn't have one since 2022.
“I'm still chasing,” Conklin said with a smile as he ended his scoring drought. “That's been a tough target to get. I thought I had a chance, but I felt like some guys were around me, so I wanted to make sure I secured the ball more than anything.
“There were a couple of good opportunities where Aaron came out of the pocket,” Conklin continued. “I did my best to get myself available to him and he made it a lot easier for me to catch the ball.
“I'm trying to be a complete tight end and play well in the run game, which I think I've accomplished. But it's definitely nice to get out there and feel the ball, get some touches in the passing game, kind of get into a rhythm and get some momentum for the rest of the season.”
