TAMPA, Fla. _ There is nothing fans get up for more than a quarterback showdown.
It's even better when involving two future Hall of Famers who rarely make an appearance on the same stage.
Unless there is an encounter in the postseason, this could be the last time Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers cross paths on the football field.
Brady is 43 and Rodgers is 36. Their careers span a combined 37 NFL seasons and 375 regular-season games, but Sunday's meeting at Raymond James Stadium will be only their third.
"You've got the Tampa Bay Bradys versus the Green Bay Rodgers. That's the way I look at this game," Packers tackle David Bakhtiari said _ a little sarcastically _ in a call with reporters. "It's a one-on-one battle."
Yet, the most important rendezvous already has taken place. No fans. No photographers.
It occurred one offseason afternoon in 2013 when Brady invited Rodgers to his suburban Los Angeles home.
They spent the day watching film, playing nine holes of golf at Riviera Country Club, talking football and fitness, a healthier lifestyle that leads to longevity. Brady's chef cooked some nutritionally rich meals.
Rodgers has said the visit turned out to be career-altering. "It really sunk in then that if I really wanted to keep playing _ and be as pain-free as possible _ this is what I needed to do," Rodgers said.
And it's why there's a chance that when Brady is finished playing in Tampa Bay, maybe Rodgers could take his place under center for the Bucs.
It seems far-fetched, but stay with us here.
Brady has two years on his contract with the Bucs, although he has said he would like to play until he is 45.
But assuming he leaves the Bucs following the 2021 season, Tampa Bay may look to Green Bay for its next old-guy quarterback.
No matter how well he plays, Rodgers' future with the Packers became a topic when the team drafted Utah State quarterback Jordan Love in the first round this year. Rodgers responded by reiterating his plan to play into his 40s.
Rodgers is signed through the 2023 season. Because of restructuring, he has one of the league's largest salary-cap numbers of more than $31.5 million for 2021.
But a trade in 2022 seems more likely. There still would be more than $17 million in dead money for the Packers, but more than $28 million would come off the books for 2023.
By then, the Packers would need to know what they have in Love. Rodgers would be 38 with two years remaining on his contract at about $25.5 million per season, or roughly what Brady makes now.
It's fair to ask, even if the Packers were inclined to trade Rodgers, why would they make a deal with an NFC team? But there was a time when the Bucs were in play for Brett Favre, who eventually was dealt to the New York Jets.
Of course, the future is now for Brady and Rodgers.
Green Bay is 4-0 and Rodgers is having an MVP season. He is second only to the Seahawks' Russell Wilson with a 128.4 passer rating. He also has completed 70.5% of his passing attempts for 1,213 yards with 13 touchdowns and no interceptions.
Brady has the Bucs off to a 3-2 start but has been up and down like his football team. Five touchdown passes in a 17-point comeback win over the Chargers dissolved into Brady losing track of downs in a 20-19 loss at Chicago.
But their careers are linked only by accomplishment and admiration. Brady has nothing to be envious of given his six Super Bowl rings, but there is one thing you get the feeling he may covet.
"I think there's a lot to like about (Rodgers') play and his ability to pass a football," Brady said. "I think everybody is pretty much in awe of how he makes it look so easy. Just the throwing motion, the velocity on the ball. The placement of the ball. How quickly the ball gets from his hand to the receivers' hands. And it's just been unbelievable to watch over the years, and he's really kept it going. He's a great passer. He's very efficient. His touchdown-to-interception ratio _ he basically doesn't throw interceptions and throws a lot of touchdowns."
On the other hand, Rodgers is impressed by the way Brady has maintained his body and his game well past the age any quarterback has ever attempted to do so.
Brady is always working to improve, from his fitness to his footwork.
"The conversations that he started around health, I think we all can take note of," Rodgers said of Brady. "The emphasis on how important it is knowing what you put in your body and how it affects not just your performance, but your health, I think is great information.
"He does things that I'm not sure every young quarterback realizes, but they probably should. What Tom does is, he's always trying to work on something new. If you look at his footwork over the years, he's done just about everything, from right foot forward to left foot forward. (We) had a conversation about that a number of years ago. Now he's square stance. He's always fiddling with things to try and get that little advantage and time out his drops with the routes and the balance and the footwork."
If Brady, 41-year-old Drew Brees and Rodgers prove anything, it's that older quarterbacks may become the trend in the NFL.
There's always going to be a preference to draft and develop young quarterbacks. But as older players maintain good arm strength and mobility, their experience becomes an invaluable asset.
"I don't think there's any doubt," Bucs coach Bruce Arians said. "Barring major injury, I think these guys can play until they're 45, as long as their arm holds up,. With sports science and all the stuff that these guys are doing to stay in shape and keeping their arms strong, I don't see _ unless their legs go _ why they couldn't play until they're 45."
Rodgers bristles at the inevitable quarterback comparisons.
"Like I said, I'm not playing against Tom. I'm playing against the Buccaneers' defense," Rodgers said. "That's how it should be viewed. When it comes to big picture and you guys writing your stories and telling that whole story, which I know is a part of it, it's two older guys.
"I think it's good that we just enjoy it for what it is, have respect and admiration for the way that we have played over this time and enjoy where we're at in our careers now."
