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Aaron Rodgers and Eli Manning will once again share a football field when the Jets and Giants face off Sunday at MetLife Stadium. While neither will be in uniform, the current and former quarterback plan to play catch together on the field prior to kickoff.
Rodgers asked Manning if he would be interested in a little pregame catch upon Manning telling him that he will be attending Sunday’s game.
“Let’s play a little catch pregame,” Rodgers said on Monday night’s “ManningCast.” “I’ll see you out there. Get that arm warmed up.”
Manning said he would take Rodgers up on his offer, much to the delight of his big brother, Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning.
“I would love to see that,” the elder Manning said. “I would love to see that. Get that done.”
Rodgers and Manning shared the field together five times during their years with the Packers and Giants, respectively. Rodgers went 3-2 in games against Manning’s Giants, but Manning was victorious in the only playoff game the two quarterbacks played against each other. After a 15-1 regular season, Rodgers’ Packers were upset by the Giants in the 2011 divisional round. The Giants parlayed that upset win into a second Super Bowl win in five years.
Manning’s 16-year career with the Giants was capped off his with jersey retirement and Ring of Honor ceremony during the 2021 season. Rodgers, who broke into the NFL with the Packers one year after Manning started his career with the Giants, is hoping to make it back onto the field for the Jets this season as he continues to recover from his Achilles injury.
“I’d love to come back this season,” Rodgers said. “For me, you always have to set a goal, otherwise you go kind of crazy. So the goal is to definitely come back. There’s a lot of factors that go into that. I’ve got to get to the point where I can protect myself and do what I do.”
While he won’t be playing Sunday, Rodgers will apparently get a chance to play catch with Manning in what will be surely be a cool moment for both.