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As Aaron Rodgers walks onto the MetLife Stadium turf this Thursday for the first time, it will not be a regular game day – it is the bittersweet homecoming for him, who was not addressed as the lion’s best for one complete quarter as a result of a viciously torn Achilles that put him out for the rest of the season and that’s four snaps into 2023.
This game involves physicality but is dedicated to the four-time Most Valuable Player, whose exceptional resilience gets tested in his 20th season in the NFL. Rodgers will have his eyes set on Jerod Mayo and the New England Patriots, a man he played against while with the Green Bay Packers in 2010 and 2014.
The age of 38 and Maine as the head coach at this age makes the contest interesting because it shows how the league has changed hands over the years. This further upsets the generation narrative in place is Braelon Allen, a running back who is only 20 years old.
Last week, he broke a record by becoming the youngest NFL player since 1930 to score a touchdown on a play that started from scrimmage, which shows how long it is that Rodgers has been playing in the league. "It just gets a little weird when you're playing against head coaches you've played against, you're playing with guys that could be your kid, age-wise, you know," Rodgers said. "It's a good reminder of how special it is to still be playing at 40."
Rodgers' Youthful Adversaries
Against head coaches younger than him, including playoff games, Rodgers has been optimistic with a 5-2 record to this point.
Mayo is the latest example of such a quick-rising challenge, even more so as he is from the defensive side of politics. On this occasion, Rodgers’s record bears 3-1 over Sean McVay, a rather equal 1-1 against Kevin O’Connell, and an outstanding victory over Brian Callahan.
This season commenced with two away performances for Rodgers, the first a defeat in San Francisco and the next a victory in Tennessee. Excitement is expected to reach a crescendo when he makes his grand return to MetLife Stadium after such an episode since that horrific Week 1 American 2023 when he marched the team to the ground with a flag as the team’s leader.
"I mean, I feel good about it. It's been a long time since I took the field at JetLife," he teased, calling the stadium the name he used for the ground where the New York Jets and New York Giants play. "So, it'll be a lot of emotions, for sure. But we're thankfully already into the third game of the season."
English (US)