Tom Brady proved in 2023 that age is just a number by continuing to play in the league at the age of 45. Now in 2025, Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco are showing exactly what Brady preached in his final season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they are set for a faceoff in their 40s.
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Rodgers, 41, and Flacco, 40, bring two Lombardi Trophies, a combined 82 years and 226 days of age, 39 NFL seasons, 774 touchdown passes, and over 102,000 passing yards to the AFC North prime-time showdown on Thursday night.
As a result, the Steelers vs. Bengals game has already been dubbed an “Old Guys’ Battle” on social media, generating a strong buzz among veteran analysts, including Mike Florio. Notably, Florio highlighted the historic nature of this QB matchup in his pre-game analysis on Wednesday:
“Only the fourth time since 1950 that two starting quarterbacks over the age of 40 are squaring off. And the other three all happened in the same year—Tom Brady vs. Drew Brees in 2020, twice in the regular season and once in the postseason. That’s it. That is the only time,” he recalled.
Were there similar battles before 1950? It’s hard to say because the records weren’t as complete back then, reveals NFL Research. “I can’t imagine before 1950 there were a pair of 40-year-old quarterbacks playing in the NFL, but who knows?” Florio added.
The first time Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco played each other (December 7, 2009)
-Instagram didn’t exist
-You couldn’t take an Uber
-Avatar wasn’t created
-Rockies were good at baseball pic.twitter.com/J02hMyR3vu— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) October 16, 2025
Whether there is a past example or not, Rodgers, during a Tuesday press conference, sounded genuinely excited about facing Flacco. “I think it’s great for all the old guys. I know that when I watch other sports—maybe because I’m the older guy—I tend to pull for the older guys to win championships,” he said.
Looking back, the last time two 40-plus QBs squared off was in 2020, when Brady and Brees met three times. The Saints, led by Brees, took both the regular-season games dominantly: a 34-23 win in Week 1, where Brady threw two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown by Janoris Jenkins), and a 38-3 blowout in Week 9, with Brees throwing four touchdowns and intercepting Brady three times.
However, Brady got the last laugh in the playoffs. In the Divisional Round, the Buccaneers beat the Saints 30-20, ending Brees’ final season. Brady threw for 199 yards and two touchdowns, while Brees finished with 134 yards, one TD, and three interceptions. Ultimately, it was Brady who won when it mattered the most.
As for Rodgers and Flacco, Rodgers holds a perfect 3-0 record in regular-season matchups against Flacco. With the Steelers at 4-1, Rodgers’ streak looks strong. But in this kind of prime-time showdown, anything can happen during the game.
