Jets’ Aaron Rodgers Reflects on NFL Career, Says it’s ‘Special’ to Play at Age 40

Julia StumbaughSeptember 18, 2024

Justin Ford/Getty Images

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers said it’s “special” to still be playing in the NFL ahead of Thursday’s home opener against the New England Patriots and head coach Jerod Mayo.

Rodgers, 40, and Mayo, 38, last faced off on opposite sides of an NFL field when they were both players.

Mayo retired as a linebacker in 2015 after eight seasons, while Rodgers is heading into his 20th year as an NFL quarterback.

“It just gets a little weird when you’re playing against head coaches you played against, and you’re playing with guys that could be your kid,” Rodgers said on Tuesday, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “Yeah, it’s a good reminder of how special it is to still be playing at 40.”

Rodgers told reporters the shortened week between the Jets’ Sunday win over the Tennessee Titans and the Thursday night contest against the Patriots presents an extra challenge for him.

“It’s definitely tough on the body, tough on the week, but easier for a guy who’s 20 than a guy’s who’s 40,” Rodgers said. “But I’ll be ready.”

The Jets roster features the league’s youngest player, 20-year-old Braelon Allen, who ran for a 20-yard touchdown against the Titans.

Rodgers, who handed the ball off to Allen for the touchdown, said he’d been watching the running back since his age-17 freshman season at Wisconsin in 2017.

“He turned 18 in January of his freshman year,” Rodgers said, per Cimini. “Now he’ll turn 21 in January of his rookie year. That’s crazy.”

Meanwhile Rodgers, who turns 41 in December, is the oldest player in the NFL.

Rodgers’ current contract with the Jets runs through the 2025 season, although he has yet to commit to playing after 2024.

That puts pressure on the Jets to focus on this season, starting with Thursday’s game at MetLife Stadium, where Rodgers suffered a season-ending injury during his Jets debut last season.

The veteran quarterback will hope for a better outcome as he looks to lead the Jets to a 2-1 season-opening record with a win over Mayo and the Patriots.