Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco revealed what he said to Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers after the Bengals’ win over Pittsburgh at Paycor Stadium on Thursday, Oct 16.
During a moment captured on video, the two veteran quarterbacks embraced, and Flacco can be seen saying something to Rodgers before the Steelers quarterback patted Flacco on the chest and Flacco placed his hand on Rodgers’ helmet.
“All love between the vets,” the Cincinnati Bengals official X account captioned a video of the encounter.
After the game, Flacco shared what he said to Rodgers on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”
“It was a lot of fun to go against Aaron today,” Flacco said. “The Steelers, I’ve played them so much, they’re such a familiar foe. I told Aaron after the game, I don’t think I’ve ever beat him head-to-head. That was a lot of fun to be able to get that done today.”
A TikTok posted by the official NFL account captured Flacco’s exact wording: “I think this is the first time I got you,” Flacco can be heard saying.
Flacco was 0-3 against Rodgers before Thursday night. The first two matchups occurred in 2009 and 2013, when Rodgers was with the Green Bay Packers and Flacco was with the Baltimore Ravens, according to The Playoffs Network, a news site targeted at sports betters. The two competed again in 2019 when Rodgers was still with Green Bay and Flacco was with the Denver Broncos.
Flacco expanded on the conversation while on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Sports Illustrated reported.
“Listen, I won the football game, so it was easy for me to feel good about myself in that moment and make sure I grabbed him and kept him there for a minute. I have a lot of respect for what Aaron’s done in his career; he’s been incredible,” Flacco said.
“Sometimes those exchanges can be very quick, and I just wanted to make sure I said what’s up to him and how much I appreciated just being a part of it,” he added.
The Bengals beat the Steelers 33-31 in what was dubbed the “Battle of the Uncs,” due to the quarterbacks’ ages.
According to Sports Illustrated, Rodgers finished the game throwing for 249 yards and four touchdowns, with two interceptions. Flacco threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns.
