PITTSBURGH — As Aaron Rodgers stepped to the mic stand in front of the Steelers-logoed backdrop Tuesday, teammate Cameron Heyward stood nearby and playfully heckled the 41-year-old quarterback.
“Oldest quarterbacks playing this week, let’s go,” Heyward said, clapping his hands. “Icy Hot Bowl. I love it!”
Rodgers just smirked and shook his head.
Thursday night’s matchup between the Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals featuring Rodgers and the 40-year-old Joe Flacco will mark just the second time in NFL history that opposing quarterbacks age 40 or older will start a regular or postseason game against each other, according to ESPN Research.
“I think it’s great for all the old guys,” Rodgers said. “I know that when I watch other sports, maybe it’s because I’m the older guy, but I tend to pull for the older guys to win championships.
“I’ve known Joe for a long time. He’s been great coming to my charity event. He’s been a great ambassador for the league. He’s had a great career, and it’s fun that we’re both still playing.”
Tom Brady and Drew Brees are the only pair of 40-or-older quarterbacks to start opposite each other, doing so in three games during the 2020 season.
Rodgers, though, said matchups featuring two older QBs could happen more in the future as NFL players invest more in taking care of their bodies. But, he added, that’s not the only factor to seeing more of these meetings.
“… There is one key component — and that’s consistency,” he said. “In order to keep playing at an advanced age, you have to have some level of consistency to give you the opportunities, and obviously Joe’s done it, and I’ve done it.”
Rodgers was taken with the 24th pick in the 2005 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers. Flacco went 18th in the 2008 draft by the Baltimore Ravens.
Rodgers, though, didn’t become a full-time starter until 2008 — the same year that Flacco started all 16 games as a rookie and went 11-5 in a season that ended with a loss to the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game.
“It’s one thing you guys can’t talk about this week in terms of me being older at least, but it is pretty neat,” Flacco said of the matchup. “I mean, Aaron’s been in the league a few years longer than me, but we both started playing in 2008. So, been doing it for a long time. It’s pretty cool.”
Against coach Mike Tomlin, Flacco is 10-11 as a starter with a 59.3 QBR, 25 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions, according to ESPN Research. Tomlin went out of his way Monday to question the Cleveland Browns’ decision last week to make an in-season trade of Flacco to the division-rival Bengals.
Flacco said Tuesday he didn’t see Tomlin’s comments.
“I didn’t get to see how upset he was,” Flacco said, “but I think he’s probably just playing the game a little bit and doing whatever he has to do.”
Thursday’s game is something of a throwback to an old-school matchup between two big-armed quarterbacks, a characteristic of Flacco that Rodgers said he appreciates.
“I’ve just always enjoyed watching him throw the ball,” Rodgers said. “I mean, he’s got one of the prettiest, prettiest balls, tight spiral, great deep-ball thrower. He is one of the kind of old-school, 2000s, 90s-prototypical quarterbacks where so many — even when I was coming in the game — it was the big guys who had the big arms and now you’re seeing there’s some smaller guys.”
Earlier Tuesday, Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin pointed out Flacco’s staying power in the league and referenced the 2024 game where he took over for Anthony Richardson Sr. and threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns in the Steelers’ loss to the Colts.
“He’s mentally tough,” said Austin, who was a coach in Baltimore during Flacco’s tenure. “He doesn’t let things bother him, and he’s a good football player and he never waves in that belief. And so I have a big appreciation for guys like him, guys that maybe bounce around a little bit, and then all of a sudden you see him and they show up and they’re really good players, and sometimes you just need to change a scenery to do what you’re doing and do it better. … Hats off to Joe.”
ESPN’s Ben Baby contributed to this report.
This was a great reminder for me. Thanks for posting.