PARIS — Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has talked often about why he continues to play in the NFL at age 42, in his 22nd season. But he'd never done so in a French hotel, a little more than 48 hours from facing the Saints in an unprecedented international game for the league.
If you're going to stick around for one more year, you might as well make history.
"I love it. It's never felt like a job. I never felt like I had a job," Rodgers said Friday after the Steelers arrived in Paris. "I get to throw a football and hang out with my buddies, get to travel, and have some great memories."
That will include this trip, which Rodgers can only hope will be as enjoyable as last year when the Steelers won in Dublin.
"It's nice to see the league keeps expanding, and it's fun to be here in Paris," Rodgers said before touching on the topic of that rousing Ireland win. "Last year we had a great experience out in Ireland, a lot of fun — a lot of fun. But it's nice to be a part of the first game in France."
One of those newfound friends Rodgers has made in Pittsburgh is wide receiver DK Metcalf, who was his favorite target in the Dublin game a year ago. Metcalf had 5 receptions for 126 yards, including an exhilarating 80-yard touchdown catch-and-run at Croke Park.
He'd be happy to light up Stade de France the same way, but like his quarterback, Metcalf understands the opportunity overseas. Both have been to France before, and can appreciate traveling when they aren't on a work trip. The flip side, though, is that this game can take those who play it to places they'd never dreamed of going. Every NFL team has well-traveled veterans as well as wide-eyed rookies.
"It is a good experience for everybody who's never traveled the world," Metcalf said. "My first time playing international was my first time out of the country, so I think it is a good opportunity for players to see another side of the world."
International media were delighted to see Rodgers and Metcalf, but also got to hear from defensive lineman Cam Heyward, outside linebacker T.J. Watt, tight end Pat Freiermuth, running back Jaylen Warren and inside linebacker Patrick Queen. The players put their best foot forward as they were quizzed good-naturedly on French food, soccer and plenty of other non-football topics.
Watt shook his head and denied having any sort of themed sack celebration for Sunday. But if his longtime running mate gets one, look out for an ode to French soccer star Kylian Mbappe.
"Alex Highsmith has done the Mbappe about 4,000 times in the last few days," Watt joked.
One big difference for Watt from last year to this year was that he slept better on the Paris flight than the Dublin flight. He had to take a nap right away in Ireland, so this time around he was just focused on hydration and fueling his body.
Whatever sightseeing he can take in will be a bonus, but he'd like to be enthralled with the sights Sunday. Terrible Towels are easy to pack on a plane and he wouldn't mind seeing some new ones finding their way into French hands either.
"The cliche answer is that at the end of the day it's just football, but I think we're all excited to see what the fans are like here," Watt said. "We know we're going to go out and put on a great performance, but each and every environment is different. Obviously, Ireland was a home game for us last year, so we knew we were going to have a lot of Steeler fans. This year it's an away game for us so we're not quite sure what the dispersion's going to be like. I'm excited to play football and showcase to people who might be getting their first glimpse of us or myself what we're about."
From a travel standpoint, Warren called his seat the most comfortable he's ever sat in on a plane. Tight end Pat Freiermuth was looking forward to pushing through the schedule Friday and getting to bed early for a good night's sleep.
"I definitely want to see the Eiffel Tower," said Warren, whose family made the trip as well. "But if not, it is what it is. I look at these trips as business trips. I'm not here to have fun. I'm here to win a game."
Perhaps Heyward put it best, as the longest-tenured Steeler and the only one to play in all three international games in franchise history. First it was London in 2013, then Dublin, now Paris.
That's not a bad way to fill up a passport. Heyward is a first-timer in France, and the process is a grind, but the overall endeavor is one he doesn't take lightly.
"You can't treat it like a normal game," Heyward said. "It's very special. We're the first teams to play in Paris, so there's a lot of excitement around that. I always have a lot of respect for the culture here, so to come here and put on a game, hopefully we can win, and I'm looking forward to that."
