EL SEGUNDO — Aaron Rodgers, the next quarterback the Chargers will face, turns 42 on Dec. 2. He’s playing his 21st season in the NFL, his first with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s a certain Hall of Fame selection, a legendary figure after playing his first 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers.
Jesse Minter, the man tasked with devising a plan to slow down Rodgers when the Chargers play host to the Steelers on Sunday night at SoFi Stadium, will be 43 on May 9. He is in his second season as the Chargers’ defensive coordinator after two seasons at the University of Michigan, one of several collegiate stops.
Minter laughed when it was pointed out that he and Rogers are almost the same age. It won’t be funny if the four-time league MVP torches Minter’s defense on Sunday in front of a national TV audience. But it was worth a chuckle or two Thursday as Minter spoke of Rodgers’ success and longevity.
“He’s still Aaron Rodgers,” Minter said. “Super-fast release, super accurate, sees everything. He’s obviously seen every type of coverage, every type of blitz imaginable and so he manages their offense really well. They have a combination of that Steeler-brand identity, the run game, the big personnel and then some of the stuff he’s always done, the spread (offense), the quick plays.”
Tom Brady set a standard for how long a quarterback can play and play very well in the NFL, and Rodgers has matched it in many respects. After all, Rodgers has completed 68.7% of his passes for 1,692 yards and 17 touchdowns in eight games this season with the Steelers.
Overall, Rodgers has completed 65.2% of his passes for 64,644 yards and 520 TDs in 18 seasons with the Packers, two with the New York Jets and now this one with the Steelers.
“When you just think about what he’s still doing, obviously, he takes great care of himself,” Minter said. “Obviously, with Brady setting that trend, my gosh, you see these guys can play really long, and if they do the things necessary with their bodies and things like that, so he does that. He moves around really well.
“So, it’s a great challenge. I think it’s fun to go against a guy like that just because, like, the mental side of it. It’s a great challenge. You know he’s seen about every coordinator in the league for the last 25 years. Almost. So, I’m excited about the opportunity to go against him.”
Rodgers’ rookie season was 2005 with the Packers, who picked him in the first round out of Cal, a fact that boggled the mind of Chargers safety Derwin James Jr., a 29-year-old who has played seven seasons in the NFL and was a 9-year-old when Rodgers debuted.
“He’s been able to make every throw since I was a little boy,” James said, smiling slightly as if to recall his youth in Haines City, Florida. “So, nothing’s changed. He can still do it. He’s amazing, man. He’s amazing. I have a lot of respect for him. I can’t wait to go out and compete against him, honestly.”
Chargers edge rusher Khalil Mack shook his head when asked if he could imagine playing into his 40s, as Rodgers has. Mack, 34, is in the midst of his 12th season in the NFL, including his fourth with the Chargers. He has said he considered retirement after the 2024 season ended.
“We were talking about that with Bud (Dupree, a fellow pass rusher of a certain age,) about playing to Year 18 and all that and, like, I don’t even know if I want to do that,” Mack said, chuckling. “But, hopefully, I’m able to win one (Super Bowl championship) before I even give that a thought.
“Playing against Aaron, he’s the ultimate competitor, man. He’s going to put his team in the best position to win. Playing against guys like that, you always look forward to it because you’re going against one of the greats. These are the games you’re going to look back on when you hang ’em up.”