Aaron Rodgers on his age – ‘It’s great’ he’s still playing

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Aaron Rodgers’ emotions will be high Thursday night in the New York Jets’ home opener against the New England Patriots.

This will be his first game at MetLife Stadium since that fateful night on Sept. 11, when he tore his left Achilles tendon on his fourth try of the 2023 season. It will also be a night to appreciate his longevity in the NFL.

Rodgers is 40, two years older than New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo. Then, of course, there’s New York Jets rookie Braylon Allen, 20, who last week became the youngest NFL player to score a touchdown in a friendly since 1930.

“It gets a bit strange when you’re playing against managers you’ve played against, and playing against players who could be your sons,” Rodgers said on Tuesday. “Yes, it’s a good reminder of how important it is to keep playing until you’re 40.”

Mayo, a former New England Patriots linebacker, was drafted in 2008, three years after Rodgers was picked by the Green Bay Packers. They faced each other once as players, in 2010 — a game in which Mayo recorded 16 tackles in a losing effort.

Rodgers, the oldest player in the league, helped put Allen, the youngest, in the history books last week in a 24-17 win over the Tennessee Titans. Rodgers threw a pass to Allen for a 12-yard field goal, and in the fourth quarter, he stopped a running play that resulted in Allen scoring a 20-yard field goal.

At 20 years, 239 days old, Allen became the youngest player since the merger (1970) to score more than one goal in a single game. Rodgers has been watching him since 2021, when Allen was a freshman at Wisconsin.

“I’ve been joking with him since the first time he sat in front of me,” Rodgers said. “I knew who he was when he picked him. I heard about this 17-year-old kid playing at the University of Wisconsin when I was playing in Green Bay. I couldn’t believe it. I figured he’d turn 18 real quick. But, no, he turned 18 in January of his junior year. Now he’ll be 21 in January of his senior year. It’s crazy.”

Allen and No. 1 running back Bryce Hall call themselves the “Killer Bees.” They were a powerful duo last week, racking up 170 yards of carries and three scores. They were used in the same backfield on four plays, including the touchdown pass to Allen.

Allen, who stands 6 feet tall and weighs 235 pounds, grew up in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, watching Rodgers play on TV. Now he’s in the same group as the future Hall of Famer.

“It’s amazing,” said Allen, who was selected in the fourth round. “There aren’t a lot of people who get this opportunity, to be this young at this position at this point in their lives. I’m very fortunate and proud. I just try to keep accumulating.”

Rodgers said his goal Thursday night was to get the offense going. The Jets have trailed in the first two games because the offense has been sluggish. That’s been a trend for them in recent years, and Rodgers hopes to change that.

“It would be pointless to keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect different results, so we have to change some things. We have to be a little bit more aggressive… We started very slowly in the first two weeks, so we have to start faster, put something together in the first 15 minutes,” he said. [plays] And gave our defense a chance to play with the lead.”

A year ago, Rodgers made a grand entrance in Week 1, coming out of the tunnel holding an American flag. He’s not sure what to expect Thursday night, but he’s looking forward to making his home debut, Part II, albeit in a shortened week.

“It’s definitely hard on the body, hard on the week, but it’s easier for a 20-year-old than a 40-year-old. But I’ll be ready,” he said.