It was Ponce de Leon, the man who originally discovered Florida in 1513, who set out in search of the fountain of youth. Ponce never found it but perhaps now that he is in Florida, Tom Brady will.
In his first season as quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brady, 43, has the Bucs cooking. If you were to check the NFL betting odds at Bovada via MyTopSportsbooks, you would find that the Buccaneers are the -105 favorites to win the NFC South Division title.
The Bucs haven’t finished in first place in their division since 2007, which is something neither the management nor the fans want, and would definitely like that to change. That is why this offseason, there were some massive changes in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster, as they introduced some big names in the squad.
After two decades at the helm of the New England Patriots, where he won six Super Bowls, four Super Bowl and three regular-season MVP awards, Brady, by many the best there ever was, has little left to earn in terms of on-field achievements. But, as the sport goes, there is always something more to achieve, break some records, etc. and that brings us to the next conclusion.
If he were to lead the Buccaneers to the Super Bowl title, he would join a longtime rival, Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos), as the only starting QB to win the big game at the helm of two different franchises. There is also another thing, and as he clearly stated many times, Brady wants to play for as long as he can. And this is where the Bucks saw the opportunity to not only compete at the next level and be (maybe) a contender to win it all but also to earn more money from the marketing and commercials, as they will surely get much more publicity. In the end, he still has plenty of work to do in order to become the oldest QB in NFL history.
Let’s look at where Brady currently stands in the all-time oldest QB list.
10. Brett Favre (41 years old)
Favre won a Super Bowl and was a three-time NFL MVP, and all that while with the Green Bay Packers. He also set an NFL-record for most starts in the NFL with 289 consecutive games. Favre was the first NFL quarterback to pass for 500 touchdowns, throw for 70,000 yards, complete 6,000 passes, and attempt 10,000 passes. Although initially drafted by the Falcons, he did not stay for long, and in the next year, he signed with the Packers, where he achieved glory.
9. Mark Brunell (41 years old)
Although Brunell spent most of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars, he still holds the majority of the team’s passing records. He was a starting QB for some of them, but he won a Super Bowl as a backup to Drew Brees with the New Orleans Saints.
One more interesting fact about Brunell is that in 2018 he set the Guinness World Record. He made the longest throw (20.96 meters) of a hot dog into a bun.
8. Earl Morrall (42 years old)
There are two significant moments that stand out in Earl Morrall’s career, and both moments involve some injury. He was NFL MVP in 1968 with the Baltimore, when they were still Colts, and two years later, he replaced an injured Johnny Unitas. It was a crucial moment as he led the Colts to victory in Super Bowl V.
The second time, but this time with Miami Dolphins, Morall subbed for an injured Bob Griese and led them as a starting QB in 12 of their 17 victories and played a huge role in their perfect 17-0 season, back in 1972.
7. Tom Brady (43 years old)
What can you say about Brady that has not already been said, but there is one thing that surely stands out – he is the only quarterback to reach 200 regular-season wins. He has never had a losing season as a starting quarterback, winning more division titles (17) than any other QB in NFL history. As for the playoffs, Brady broke several records during his career, and with a postseason record of 30–11, he stands first in all-time playoff wins and appearances for any NFL player.
6. Doug Flutie (43 years old)
Flutie was a starting QB in the USFL, CFL, and the NFL. At the end of his career in 2005, he served as Brady’s backup with the Patriots and was an integral part of the team off and on the field during the season, which ended in defeat as Denver Broncos stopped them from being the first team ever that won three consecutive Super Bowl titles. During that season, Flutie, 43, entered a game against the New York Jets, whose QB was 42-year-old Vinny Testaverde.
5. Vinny Testaverde (44 years old)
Testaverde and Brady share the NFL record of throwing a touchdown pass in 21 consecutive seasons. But unlike Brady, who has some big numbers, Testaverde set a couple of records that are not that complimentary. He still holds the NFL record for most lost games (123), and his overall winning percentage as a starting QB is 42.3%.
4. Warren Moon (44 years old)
Like Flutie, Moon also enjoyed tremendous success in the CFL before making it and becoming the NFL regular. In 1990 he got the NFL Offensive Player of the Year, which says a lot about his career and what he was like as a player. Moon was the first African American quarterback, as well as the first undrafted quarterback to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Moon also made it into a CFL Hall of Fame and was in the top five QBs for passing yards (in the time of his retirement). He now works as a broadcaster.
3. Steve DeBerg (45 years old)
In 1998, after five years of retirement, DeBerg decided to sign for and join the Atlanta Falcons. When he started the game against the New York Jets on October 25, 1998, DeBerg became the oldest starting QB in NFL history. It was a season to remember for the Falcons as they went to the Super Bowl that season. The Falcons lost to the Denver Broncos (34-19), and even though he did not play, DeBerg was the oldest player ever to appear on a Super Bowl roster (45 years, 12 days).
2. John Nesser (45 years old)
One of the seven brothers that played pro football, Nesser, was a quarterback for the Columbus Panhandlers in 1921. That was his final season and only the NFL’s second season of existence. He held the forth as the oldest QB in league history until the 1970s.
1. George Blanda (48 years old)
Just by saying that Blanda completed his first NFL pass in 1949 and his final one in 1975 speaks a lot of his durability and for how long he played. He played in an NFL Championship Game in the 1950s, an AFL Championship and Super Bowl in the 1960s, and an AFC Championship Game in the 1970s. He is the oldest player in NFL history, a record that may stay safe for quite some time.
Conclusion
Even though Tom Brady is the oldest MVP in the history of the NFL, the record of the all-time oldest QB that ever played may be tough to beat. The positive thing is that he is still motivated to play, and he surely has something special to offer every time he steps on the field. As long as it stays that way, Tom Brady is the valid candidate to break this record and leave yet another mark in the NFL history.
