Rodgers, Flacco happy to be part of 'Icy Hot Bowl'

PITTSBURGH -- As Aaron Rodgers stepped to the mic basal successful beforehand of the Steelers-logoed backdrop Tuesday, teammate Cameron Heyward stood adjacent 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 emotion it!"

Rodgers conscionable smirked and shook his head.

Thursday night's matchup betwixt the Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals featuring Rodgers and the 40-year-old Joe Flacco volition people conscionable the 2nd clip successful NFL past that opposing quarterbacks property 40 oregon older volition commencement a regular oregon postseason crippled against each other, according to ESPN Research.

"I deliberation it's large for each the aged guys," Rodgers said. "I cognize that erstwhile I ticker different sports, possibly it's due to the fact that I'm the older guy, but I thin to propulsion for the older guys to triumph championships.

"I've known Joe for a agelong time. He's been large coming to my foundation event. He's been a large ambassador for the league. He's had a large career, and it's amusive that we're some inactive playing."

Tom Brady and Drew Brees are the lone brace of 40-or-older quarterbacks to commencement other each other, doing truthful successful 3 games during the 2020 season.

Rodgers, though, said matchups featuring 2 older QBs could hap much successful the aboriginal arsenic NFL players put much successful taking attraction of their bodies. But, helium added, that's not the lone origin to seeing much of these meetings.

"... There is 1 cardinal constituent -- and that's consistency," helium said. "In bid to support playing astatine an precocious age, you person to person immoderate level of consistency to springiness you the opportunities, and evidently Joe's done it, and I've done it."

Rodgers was taken with the 24th prime successful the 2005 NFL draught by the Green Bay Packers. Flacco went 18th successful the 2008 draught by the Baltimore Ravens.

Rodgers, though, didn't go a full-time starter until 2008 -- the aforesaid twelvemonth that Flacco started each 16 games arsenic a rookie and went 11-5 successful a play that ended with a nonaccomplishment to the Steelers successful the AFC Championship Game.

"It's 1 happening you guys can't speech astir this week successful presumption of maine being older astatine least, but it is beauteous neat," Flacco said of the matchup. "I mean, Aaron's been successful the league a fewer years longer than me, but we some started playing successful 2008. So, been doing it for a agelong time. It's beauteous cool."

Against manager Mike Tomlin, Flacco is 10-11 arsenic a starter with a 59.3 QBR, 25 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions, according to ESPN Research. Tomlin went retired of his mode Monday to question the Cleveland Browns' determination past week to marque an in-season commercialized of Flacco to the division-rival Bengals.

Flacco said Tuesday helium didn't spot Tomlin's comments.

"I didn't get to spot however upset helium was," Flacco said, "but I deliberation he's astir apt conscionable playing the crippled a small spot and doing immoderate helium has to do."

Thursday's crippled is thing of a throwback to an old-school matchup betwixt 2 big-armed quarterbacks, a diagnostic of Flacco that Rodgers said helium appreciates.

"I've conscionable ever enjoyed watching him propulsion the ball," Rodgers said. "I mean, he's got 1 of the prettiest, prettiest balls, choky spiral, large deep-ball thrower. He is 1 of the benignant of old-school, 2000s, 90s-prototypical quarterbacks wherever truthful galore -- adjacent erstwhile I was coming successful the crippled -- it was the large guys who had the large ar...