Who is ready to watch the “Battle of the Uncs” on Thursday Night Football this week?
I’m certainly excited to see two stars of yesteryear in Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Flacco and Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers duel on live, national television (technically streaming, since it’s on Amazon Prime). Both are Super Bowl winning quarterbacks, but both won the “Big Game” over a decade ago. That’s what you call “big time unc energy.”
If you don’t know what that means, Merriam-Webster defines “unc” as this:
“Unc is a slang term that is a shortening of the word ‘uncle.’ It is often used humorously on the internet in the phrase ‘unc status’ to imply that someone is old, getting old, or acting older than their age. Someone referred to as unc may also exhibit behaviors that are considered outdated or out of touch.”
Basically, if you knew what “unc” already meant, you aren’t an “unc.” If that definition was helpful to you… you very well could be in the “unc” demographic.
Because the starting quarterbacks of the Bengals and the Steelers have a combined age of 81 for the Thursday Night Matchup (Rodgers is 41, Flacco is 40), the NFL is leaning into the younger demographic’s “unc” slang and officially advertising the AFC North divisional tilt as the “Battle of the Uncs,” which is a) hilarious and b) a little unhinged coming from the National Football League.
Funny that a lot of the “uncs” out there won’t even be able to watch the “Unc Bowl” because they still can’t figure out streaming services.
This is just an example of the NFL saying what we were all thinking really. Bengals-Steelers should actually be an entertaining game, but it’s tough to look past the fact that the two quarterbacks are over 40-years-old. Fans shouldn’t expect to see any exciting, impromptu scrambles from either QB.
But you know what you can expect? Jokes about Flacco and Rodgers being “uncs,” like these below:
— pamungkas (@tungsxx) October 14, 2025
The AARP Bowl
— Titansville🇹🇹 (@TheDestoyerWP) October 14, 2025
Unc Bowl should not start this late https://t.co/NADJSc3HMd
— Randy Baumann (@DVERandy) October 14, 2025
this would’ve been a banger a decade ago
— ☘️ – Jays Enthusiast (@gReenbean_26) October 14, 2025
battle of the uncs is a crazy caption, not gone lie lol
— Mr. Not Good Enough (@reality_focused) October 14, 2025
Expect commercials from Sketchers, Cialis, Buick, Lands End and reverse mortgages. https://t.co/GE3PWxrIB8
— LeeAnn Lowman (@HollywoodLowman) October 14, 2025
UNCAMANIA IS RUNNING WILD ON THURSDAY NIGHT pic.twitter.com/Ufz0gWTtFG
— Mitchell Robinson Appreciation Club (@lifeofadriannn) October 14, 2025
Make sure you put the kids to bed Thursday night before the “UNCTION” officially begins.
Flacco versus Rodgers in 2010? That’s a marquee matchup. Flacco versus Rodgers in 2025? That’s the “Battle of the Uncs,” and I simply can’t wait for it.
