MetLife Stadium was the place to be on Monday night — until it wasn't, in the snap of a finger.

The long-anticipated Aaron Rodgers era in New York finally got underway, and the first season of it ended before the quarterback could even complete a pass.

Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the first quarter, turning the game against the visiting Buffalo Bills practically into a funeral.

Thankfully for the Jets, that didn't last all night long, as they came away with an improbable overtime victory on a punt return for a touchdown.

But certainly the mood in the stands, and very likely the locker room at halftime, was dampened.

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Garrett Wilson, the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2022, was primed for one of the best receiving seasons in Jets history and had sky-high expectations once the team acquired Rodgers. Alas, those aspirations have now taken a hit.

So, when Wilson sought out Rodgers in the locker room, what did the quarterback say to him?

"At halftime I just went in to check on him in the training room, just made sure I gave him a hug, told him I love him. It really hurt my heart," Wilson told ESPN New York radio.

"He told me, ‘Sorry, kid.’ Just like that. ‘Sorry, kid.’"

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Wilson and Rodgers had built quite the rapport in the offseason and were being talked about as one of the better QB-WR duos in the league.

"My heart hurts for Aaron. Just seeing him last night and the emotion that was going into him getting out there... it sucks, man," said Wilson, adding that he was "truly heartbroken."

Despite the Jets' Zach Wilson throwing to him instead of Rodgers after the injury, the second-year receiver still showed his insane talent with a late touchdown catch he juggled to himself. He caught all five of his targets for 34 yards and the score.

Often a reason for the team's druthers last year, Wilson the QB was the opposite on Monday. He completed 14 of his 21 passes for 140 yards, including the touchdown to his namesake receiver, and an interception. Jets head coach Robert Saleh said Wilson will be the team's quarterback for the rest of the year.

Last season, Wilson the receiver caught 83 passes for 1,103 yards and four touchdowns. Given his play, it's no wonder people had insane expectations for him with Rodgers.

The quarterback may be the guy almost every Jet fan has thrown in the towel on, but no matter who is passing to him, it's clear Wilson is otherworldly talented.

Texas lawmakers quietly passed a sweeping mandate for school safety measures, including a requirement to post an armed security officer at every school and provide mental health training for certain district employees.

Texas House Bill 3, which was signed into law June 14 by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, went into effect on Sept. 1, and comes in the wake of the horrific Uvalde school shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in May 2022. 

In the bill, each school district campus is required to armed security guard which includes: a school district peace officer; a school resource officer; a commissioned peace officer employee; a school marshal; or a school district employee who has completed school safety training and carries a handgun on their person on school premises.

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Along with installing an armed security guard, HB 3 mandates: 

The Texas Association of School Boards estimates the cost to place an armed officer at one campus is $80,000. The state is only providing a $15,000 grant per campus — a tiny fraction of the money needed to cover the costs for the extensive list of requirements.

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The president of the Texas School District Police Chief's Association, Chief Bill Avera, told FOX 4 that the requirements pose as a huge undertaking for the 9,000 school campuses throughout the Lone Star State.

"This does create a situation where school district budgeting has to prioritize safety," Joy Baskin, director of Policy Service and Legal Services for the Texas Association of School Boards, told FOX 4. "Given that a school district budget usually commits about 85% of the budget to pay salaries of instructional staff, this does eat up another very important slice of the pie."

In addition to the $15,000 grant per campus, the state Legislature also increased security funding per student by 28 cents per student. For an elementary school with 300 students, that's a grand total of $84.

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Stephanie Elizalde, the superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District, told the Associated Press that educators "support the idea," but it's a challenge due to the staggering costs of adding security personnel.

"We all support the idea," said Elizalde. "The biggest challenge for all superintendents is that this is yet again an unfunded mandate."

In the scramble to comply with Texas’ new standards, districts are considering to hire private security firms or arming more staff and teachers. One security company in Texas, L&P Global Security in Dallas, told the Associated Press that they have security contracts with four districts and is in talks with four others.

Abbott's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.