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Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Aaron Rodgers‘ emotions will be swirling Thursday night in the New York Jets‘ home opener against the New England Patriots.
It will be his first game at MetLife Stadium since that fateful night last Sept. 11, when he tore his left Achilles on the fourth snap of the 2023 season. It also will be a night to appreciate his NFL longevity.
Rodgers, 40, is two years older than Patriots coach Jerod Mayo. Then, of course, there’s Jets rookie running back Braelon Allen, 20, who last week became the youngest NFL player to score from scrimmage since 1930.
“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 Tuesday. “Yeah, it’s a good reminder of how special it is to still be playing at 40.”
Mayo, a former 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 player, in the history books last week in a 24-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans. Rodgers tossed a screen pass to Allen for a 12-yard touchdown and, in the fourth quarter, checked to a running play that resulted in a 20-yard scoring romp for Allen.
At 20 years, 239 days, Allen became the youngest since the merger (1970) to score more than one touchdown in a game. Rodgers has been watching him since 2021, when Allen was a freshman at Wisconsin.
“I joked around from the first time he sat down in front of me,” Rodgers said. “I knew who he was when he drafted him. I had 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, oh, he must turn 18 pretty quick. But, no, he turned 18 in January of his freshman year. Now he’ll turn 21 in January of his rookie year. That’s crazy.”
Allen and No. 1 running back Breece Hall call themselves “The Killer Bees.” They were a potent tandem last week, combining for 170 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns. They were used in the same backfield on four plays, including the touchdown pass to Allen.
The 6-foot, 235-pound Allen grew up in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, watching Rodgers’ games on TV. Now he’s in the same huddle as the future Hall of Famer.
“It’s awesome,” said Allen, drafted in the fourth round. “Not a lot of people have that opportunity, to be this young in this position at this stage of their life. I’m extremely blessed and proud. I’m just trying to keep stacking.”
Rodgers said his goal Thursday night was for the offense to come out flying. The Jets fell behind early in the first two games as the offense sputtered. This has been a trend for them in recent years, one Rodgers hopes to flip.
He said it would be “a boondoggle to keep doing the same thing over and over and expect different results, so we have to change a couple things. We have to be a little sharper. …We’ve been starting really slow the first two weeks, so we’ve got to start faster, put something together in the first 15 [plays] and give our defense a chance to play with the lead.”
A year ago, Rodgers made a grand entrance in Week 1, running out of the tunnel with an American flag. He’s not sure what’s in store for Thursday night, but he’s looking forward to making his home debut, Part II, albeit on a short week.
“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,” he said. “But I’ll be ready.”
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