Aaron Rodgers Reflects on Aging and Longevity as He Prepares to Face Joe Flacco
The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to be heading on the road to face the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football . A couple of weeks ago, many expected to see Jake Browning starting for the Bengals as he was filling in for Joe Burrow, who is out for an extended period of time. However, the Bengals made a surprising move , trading with the Cleveland Browns to land 40-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco. The trade sent shockwaves through the AFC North and left many scratching their heads.
The move seriously confused and frustrated Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin, who did not hold back in expressing his displeasure . Tomlin even took shots at Browns General Manager Andrew Berry for making a trade within the division, something he viewed as controversial. The sudden arrival of Flacco adds a new wrinkle to an already intriguing matchup, pitting two veteran quarterbacks against each other in a rare over-40 showdown.
The Steelers, of course, have a 41-year-old quarterback of their own in Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers spoke to several members of the Pittsburgh media on Tuesday about the unusual scenario of two 40+ year-old quarterbacks going head-to-head. He shared his perspective on the physical and mental preparation required to continue playing at such a high level while also reflecting on what it means for the future of quarterback longevity in the NFL.
"I mean, it’s possible," Rodgers told several members of the Pittsburgh media on Tuesday. "I think that obviously there’s a lot more conversation and money spent by guys on their bodies in the offseason over the years, as I have seen."
Many Steelers fans have been very familiar with Flacco from his 11 years as the starting quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens. Flacco also lit up Pittsburgh earlier in the 2024 NFL season when he came in for an injured Anthony Richardson.
Now the Steelers will be looking to take down Flacco in 2025. Tomlin is well aware of what Flacco is capable of, and even at this stage in his career, he isn’t thrilled about having to face him in the division.
"There is one key component and that is consistency," Rodgers 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 has done it and I have done it."
The Steelers sit at 4-1 in the 2025 season and are currently in first place in the AFC North, with injuries impacting several key teams in the division. The Steelers have a real chance to put a stranglehold on the division. To do that, they’ll need to get a win on the road on
Steelers' Defense Looking To Tee Off On Joe Flacco
At this stage in his career, Flacco can be almost like a statue back there. The Bengals traded for him out of desperation, hoping to stay alive in the season. He played in Week 6 against the Green Bay Packers, completing 64.4% of his passes for 219 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.
The Steelers’ defense is starting to fire on all cylinders and will be looking to tee off on Flacco. If they can get to him, it could be a long day for the Bengals’ offense. But if he has time in the pocket, this Steelers defense could be in trouble with Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase roaming the field.
Darius Slay Warns Steelers: Joe Flacco Knows AFC North Battles Too Well
The Pittsburgh Steelers have an unusual circumstance coming up: facing a quarterback in the division who has played for their other rivals. Joe Flacco knows this team better than anyone else in the NFL outside of Pittsburgh, and he will have the advantage of playing at home for a
During a pre-practice interview, cornerback Darius Slay was asked about going up against Flacco. He responded with a bunch of different ways this matchup would be challenging.
"Man, Joe has been in the game for a long time," Slay chuckled. "There ain't too much new concepts we can do in this game that he has not seen before. I saw that game getting picked up pretty fast; I can see that connection getting better and better as the year goes on. I'm quite sure that he has felt that he never threw to some guys like that before."
The connection that Slay is talking about is the elite wide receivers that he was given when he was traded to Cincinnati. Covering the likes of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins is already a challenge in of itself. It's even more of a problem for opposing defenses now that they have a savvy veteran quarterback, as opposed to a passer that has developed a reputation for being extremely turnover prone in Jake Browning.
That connection also refers to how well Flacco seemed to understand the offense in Week 6. Mere days after he was acquired via trade, the Bengals named him the starter and sent him out to play immediately. While he didn't get the win, he played great for a man still trying to learn an offense on the fly and save a desperate franchise from falling out of playoff contention.
Flacco was drafted into the AFC North in Mike Tomlin's second year as Head Coach of the Steelers. Their teams have engaged in numerous battles, with the most recent one coming in 2024. Flacco came in late in the first quarter after the Indianapolis Colts' former starter Anthony Richardson Sr. left due to injury, and the veteran got the best of Tomlin's defense.
Steelers Could Have Their Own Gameplan Used Against Them
While Flacco may not be the same quarterback he was in the early 2010s, he has still proven to have something left in the tank. As Slay said, there is not much that the Steelers can throw at him that he has never seen before. That includes many of the exotic pass rushes that they have ran over the years. The 40-year-old may be watching tape of what his 41-year-old adversary Aaron Rodgers just did to help with that.
Rodgers dissected the Cleveland Browns' defense by getting the ball out quickly and not letting their elite pass rush get to him. With how weak the Bengals' offensive line is, they may have to do the same to keep Blitzburgh from completely wrecking the game like it did in Week 6. Quick-hitters to Chase and Higgins will likely be the gameplan: just let the stars do their thing.
If the Steelers go into this game trying to take it easy after a convincing divisional win against another bad AFC North team, they could easily go down multiple scores early. Even on a short week, they have to do everything they can to make sure Flacco doesn't dice their defense up like he did in 2024, as well as years past. Don't let the Bengals' record fool you; this will be a challenge all around.
