Brooke Pryor
PITTSBURGH — As Aaron Rodgers stepped to the mic stand in entrance of the Steelers-logoed backdrop Tuesday, teammate Cameron Heyward stood close by and playfully heckled the 41-year-old quarterback.
“Oldest quarterbacks taking part in this week, let's go,” Heyward mentioned, clapping his fingers. “Icy Sizzling bowl. I like it!”
Rodgers simply smirked and shook his head.
In Thursday night time's Steelers-Bengals matchup, Rodgers and Joe Flacco will turn into simply the second pair of opposing quarterbacks 40 or older in NFL historical past to start out a daily or postseason sport towards one another, in line with ESPN Analysis.
“I feel it is nice for all of the previous guys,” Rodgers mentioned. “I do know that once I watch different sports activities, perhaps it is as a result of I am the older man, however I have a tendency to drag for the older guys to win championships.
“I've identified Joe for a very long time. He is been nice coming to my charity occasion. He is been a fantastic ambassador for the league. He is had a fantastic profession, and it is enjoyable that we're each nonetheless taking part in.”
Tom Brady and Drew Brees are the one earlier pair of 40-or-older quarterbacks to start out reverse one another, doing so in three video games in the course of the 2020 season.
Rodgers, although, mentioned matchups that includes two older QBs might occur extra sooner or later as NFL gamers make investments extra in taking good care of their our bodies. However, he added, that is not the one issue to seeing extra of those conferences.
“… There may be one key element — and that is consistency,” he mentioned. “To be able to hold taking part in at a sophisticated age, you must have some stage of consistency to provide the alternatives, and clearly Joe's carried out it, and I've carried out it.”
Rodgers was taken with the twenty fourth decide within the 2005 NFL draft by the Inexperienced Bay Packers. Flacco went 18th within the 2008 draft by the Baltimore Ravens.
Rodgers, although, did not turn into a full-time starter till 2008 — the identical yr that Flacco began all 16 video games as a rookie and went 11-5 in a season that ended with a loss to the Steelers within the AFC Championship Recreation.
“It is one factor you guys cannot speak about this week when it comes to me being older no less than, however it's fairly neat,” Flacco mentioned of the matchup. “I imply, Aaron's been within the league a couple of years longer than me, however we each began taking part in in 2008. So, been doing it for a very long time. It is fairly cool.”
Towards coach Mike Tomlin, Flacco is 10-11 as a starter with a 59.3 QBR, 25 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions, in line with ESPN Analysis. Tomlin went out of his method Monday to query the Cleveland Browns' resolution final week to make an in-season commerce of Flacco to the division-rival Bengals.
Flacco mentioned Tuesday that he did not see Tomlin's feedback.
“I did not get to see how upset he was,” Flacco mentioned, “however I feel he is most likely simply taking part in the sport a bit of bit and doing no matter he has to do.”
Thursday's sport is one thing of a throwback to an old-school matchup between two big-armed quarterbacks, a attribute of Flacco that Rodgers mentioned he appreciates.
“I've simply at all times loved watching him throw the ball,” Rodgers mentioned. “I imply, he is bought one of many prettiest, prettiest balls, tight spiral, nice deep-ball thrower. He is among the sort of old-school, 2000s, '90s-prototypical quarterbacks the place so many — even once I was coming within the sport — it was the large guys who had the large arms, and now you are seeing there's some smaller guys.”
Earlier Tuesday, Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin identified Flacco's endurance within the league and referenced the 2024 sport when he took over for Anthony Richardson Sr. and threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns within the Steelers' loss to the Colts.
“He is mentally powerful,” mentioned Austin, who was a coach in Baltimore throughout Flacco's tenure. “He does not let issues trouble him, and he is a great soccer participant and he by no means waves in that perception. And so I've a giant appreciation for guys like him, guys that perhaps bounce round a bit of bit, after which impulsively you see him they usually present up they usually're actually good gamers, and typically you simply want to vary a surroundings to do what you are doing and do it higher. … Hats off to Joe.”
ESPN's Ben Child contributed to this report.
