1) “Monday Night Football” season-opener, 8:20 p.m. ET, ABC and ESPN. A year ago, the Jets’ expectations soared. They had traded for Aaron Rodgers, a four-time MVP with the highest career quarterback rating. Rodgers (shown here) threw one pass (incomplete) and, on his fourth play, was injured. He returns tonight, facing the 49ers.
2) “61st Street” season-finale, 9 p.m., CW. Franklin (Courtney B. Vance) was a community hero when defending a Black teen charged with killing a white cop. But now he’s on the other side — defense lawyer in a murder case involving a white cop and a Black victim. As the trial wraps up, he tries to expose corruption.
3) “NCIS: Sydney,” 9 and 10 p.m., CBS. As the new season nears, CBS will stuff two Mondays with the final four episodes of the first “Sydney” season. (A second season will be sometime next year.) First, Roy, the forensic pathologist, is held hostage; then Evie, an Australian constable, returns to her undercover role.
4) “My Brilliant Friend” season-opener, 9 p.m., HBO. Good timing: A New York Times poll just picked this 2014 book as the best novel of the 21st century. Now the 10-episode fourth and final season (with English sub-titles) begins. Amid the tumult of 1980s Italy, Elena ignores her friend … who corners her with jolting news.
5) Sylvester Stallone films. More good timing: Stallone’s “Tulsa King” has its season-opener Sunday on Paramount+. Tonight, we get two top characters: “Rocky” is 3 p.m. on AMC, with sequels at 5:30, 8, 10:30 and 12:30. “Rambo” is 9:35 p.m. on Showtime, with its sequel at 11:10; “First Blood,” which introduced the character, is at 8.