In his 248th regular-season game, Aaron Rodgers hit TE Tyler Conklin with a 5-yard scoring toss -- his 500th in the NFL regular season -- in the second quarter of the Jets' Week 18 season finale against Miami at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
Rodgers turned back the clock, put on a show and joined an exclusive group of quarterbacks when he threw for 4 TDs -- his 500th, 501st, 502nd and 503rd -- in the Green & White's 32-20 win over the AFC East archrival Dolphins.
With the Jets trailing in the second quarter, 6-0, Rodgers led New York on an 8-play, 78-yard drive in 3:50 before completing a short pass to Conklin for No. 500.
"It was kind of like an old school red-zone touchdown, like we did for so long in Green Bay, where kind of play breaks down, move up in the pocket (and) guys keep working," Rodgers said after the game. "It was fun to get Conk that one. Conk is one of the good guys on this team, one of the guys you can count on. He's a natural leader, and from Day 1, he made me feel really welcome. You need your best players to be your best people, and he's definitely one of them."
Rodgers was surrounded by his teammates and trotted to the sideline holding the pigskin, one he will forever cherish.
After a Will McDonald strip-sack of Tyler Huntley was recovered by Quincy Williams, Rodgers added No. 501 to his résumé with a 13-yard scoring pass to Allen Lazard. Breece Hall powered in for the 2-point conversion and the Jets led, 15-6.
"What Aaron did tonight, just one of the greatest that has ever played this game, and he put that on full display again," interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said.
Rodgers threw his first NFL TD pass -- to Greg Jennings in a 37-27 loss at Dallas on Nov. 29, 2007 -- when he was in his third season with the Green Bay Packers, after replacing Brett Favre in the game. He tossed his first professional TD as a starter -- to Korey Hall in a 24-19 win at Lambeau Field against Minnesota in the Monday night season opener on Sept. 8, 2008.
He needed one TD pass to join Tom Brady (649), Drew Brees (571), Peyton Manning (539) and Brett Favre (508) as the only players to throw 500 regular-season TD passes.
In the fourth quarter, 15 minutes that the Jets have struggled to hold leads this season, Rodgers kept the offense on an even keel. He tossed TD passes to Davante Adams (the 83rd regular-season TD connection for the dynamic duo) and to Hall to cement the victory.
Rodgers, throughout his presser was thoughtful, even wistful in his comments. He was asked for his assessment of his two seasons with the Jets -- the first that ended after four snaps when he ruptured an Achilles tendon and the second in a season where he played all 17 games but the team did not meet expectations -- were a mistake. He would have none of it and added that he had asked Ulbrich to speak to his coaches and teammates on Saturday.
"Did I regret coming to New York? And the answer is, of course not," Rodgers said. "So the follow up is usually, well, why is that the case? And I talked about what really is important in this game, and that's the relationships. The relationships. And I talked about how if I hadn't come to New York, I singled out certain guys. I wouldn't have been able to be locker mates with Javon Kinlaw and Morgan Moses and Tyron Smith, and wouldn't have been protected by John Simpson, and what a great guy he is.
"And get to know the Williams brothers [Quincy and Quinnen] and get to watch these young stars early in their career, the Garretts [Wilson] and Sauce [Gardner] and Breece [Hall] and Jermaine [Johnson]. And wouldn't have been able to be back with Nathaniel [Hackett] and be coached by Todd Downing and be in the room with Tyrod Taylor, one of the freaking coolest guys that's ever been around. Just an absolute legend, so supportive. Wouldn't have been able to do any of that.
"I would have a big hole inside me that only this, these two years, could have filled. So when I say these have been the best two years of my life, I don't just mean those relationships off the field. There's been a lot of really special things that have happened. But if I hadn't come to New York, these relationships that are really important to me, many of which are going to last for a long, long time, never would have happened, and I would have really missed out on meeting some really special people."
The milestone for the 20-year veteran and four-time NFL MVP has been a few weeks in coming. Last week, Rodgers, 41, reflected on what it would have meant to possibly finish the 2024 season a TD pass short of 500.
"I would be fine sleeping in my bed 20 years from now with 499," Rodgers said, smiling. "But 500 definitely looks better on paper."
Now, Aaron Rodgers can put that ball under his pillow and rest easy.
