According to my research, only four times in NFL history have two quarterbacks in their 40s each thrown a pass in the same game. Tonight we will have a fifth, when Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco square off
on opposite sidelines during Thursday Night Football.
Those two appeared to be on track to make this happen three days ago, when the Pittsburgh Steelers hosted the Cleveland Browns. But a few days before that game, Flacco was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals. Now it will happen four days later than anticipated, as the Bengals host the Steelers this evening to kick off week 7 on the NFL season.
You may be wondering what the other four games are that both featured 40-year-old quarterbacks. Three of them were recent, all coming during the 2020 season. That year, Tom Brady and Drew Brees both played in the NFC South division for the Buccaneers and Saints, respectively, and the Saints swept the regular season series with 34-23 and 38-3 victories. Brady and the Bucs got the last laugh, however, with a 30-20 win in the Divisional Playoffs en route to a Super Bowl victory. Brees retired that offseason, ending any hopes for another rematch of old guys in 2021.
The only other game I could find in Pro-Football-Reference’s database was back in 2005, and neither of the 40-year old signal-callers started that game — a week 16 contest between the New England Patriots and the New York Jets on Monday Night Football. Brady did, however, as a 28-year-old youngster for the Patriots, along with former Wisconsin Badger Brooks Bollinger for the Jets. Bollinger suffered a head injury in the game, and 41-year-old Vinny Testaverde replaced him for the final several minutes. With the Patriots up big, Doug Flutie (then 42 years old) came in for Brady and threw one pass in garbage time, a two-yard completion on third down.
That game above had Al Michaels and John Madden on the mic for ABC, and tonight’s game between Rodgers and Flacco will have the same play-by-play man, though on a very different type of broadcast network: Amazon Prime.
Here are the details if you’re looking to watch that game, as well as information for the baseball games going on this evening.
THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (2-4)
Game time: 8:15 PM ET (7:15 PM CT)
Location: Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
TV Channel/Online Streaming: Amazon Prime
Commentators: Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit
MLB PLAYOFFS
NLCS Game 3
Milwaukee Brewers at Los Angeles Dodgers
Dodgers lead 2-0
Game time: 3:08 PM PT (5:08 PM CT)
Location: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
TV Channel: TBS
ALCS Game 4
Toronto Blue Jays at Seattle Mariners
Mariners lead 2-1
Game time: 6:33 PM PT (8:33 PM CT)
Location: T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
TV Channel: FOX Sports 1
