Is Tom Brady the Oldest Starting QB in NFL History?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady truly is the ageless wonder.
Yes, Brady is coming off one of the worst games in his career, But for as bad as Brady has looked against the New Orleans Saints this year, the six-time Super Bowl champion is still going strong at age 43.
Now in his 21st season, the 43-year-old Brady is the league’s oldest active player. But when Brady suited up for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier this year, did he become the oldest starting quarterback in NFL history?
Tom Brady is still going strong at age 43
Don’t let his three interceptions in a Week 9 game against the New Orleans Saints turn you against Tom Brady.
At 43 years old, Brady is enjoying a terrific 2020 season, his first as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brady completed 65.3% of his passes in his first nine games for 2,398 yards, 20 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Across a full 16-game season, Brady is on pace to end the year with 4,262 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
If he avoids any more three-interception games, Brady has a strong chance of winning his fourth NFL MVP Award. More importantly, the Buccaneers are 6-3 and in a position to make the postseason for the first time since 2007.
Brady threw a then-NFL record 50 touchdowns that year and led New England to the Super Bowl. The Patriots famously lost Super Bowl 42 to David Tyree and the New York Giants.
Brady has said he wants to play until he’s 45
Football fans who have paid attention to Tom Brady over the years shouldn’t be surprised he is still going strong at age 43.
Brady has said on multiple occasions that he wants to play into his mid-40s. That remained the case last fall when he told Westwood One that playing until age 45 remained his goal.
“I have set that number for a long time, and I work pretty hard at it every day. I think that part of me being a professional, giving my best to the team, is making sure my body is in great condition, that I am able to take the field. I take a lot of pride in that.”
Brady is under contract with the Buccaneers through the 2021 season.
Is Tom Brady the oldest starting quarterback in NFL history?
Technically speaking, Tom Brady is not even close to being the oldest quarterback in NFL history.
George Blanda, a Chicago Bears legend, played most of his career at quarterback. Blanda spent his last few years kicking for the Raiders and played his final game at age 48.
However, Blanda saw action at quarterback and threw passes in that span. Although Blanda didn’t start a game at quarterback after 1968, his age-41 season, he hit 74 of his 148 passes from 1969-75 for 1,028 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.
Steve DeBerg is the oldest starting quarterback in NFL history. DeBerg, then 44 years and 279 days old, started for the Atlanta Falcons on Oct. 25, 1998. He completed nine of his 20 passes that day for 117 yards and an interception.
Because Tom Brady has an August birthday, Brady almost certainly wouldn’t break DeBerg’s record until the 2022 season opens. Brady was born August 3, and 280 days after that is May 10.
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