2020 NFL: Old Good Quarterbacks

Joe Burrow has been racking up huge numbers for the Bengals. Justin Herbert has thrown 10 touchdowns against just one interception in the past three weeks. Tua Tagovailoa has made a good enough impression on his new team that he’ll make his first start for the Dolphins on Sunday. So yeah, the rookie quarterbacks who are starting in the NFL have been tremendous so far this year.

But the old guys are still dealing it, obviously not ready to give up all of the league’s attention to younger players like Burrow and Kyler Murray and Patrick Mahomes. This isn’t just the age of the quarterback in the NFL. It’s the age of the old quarterback who is still getting it done.

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Let’s take a look at every NFL starting quarterback who is 36 or older and see how they’re playing this year: Spoiler: Most of them are playing very well.

Tom Brady (43 years old): You can be forgiven if you thought Brady, in his first year playing outside of New England and without coach Bill Belichick, would flame out in Tampa Bay. Having to learn a new offensive system with new players in a new city potentially would be too much for a 21-year veteran who is approaching his mid-40s. But that’s not what’s happening. Brady has helped the Buccaneers become one of the best teams in the NFC by throwing 15 touchdowns vs. just one interception in the past five weeks. Brady has also out-dueled fellow old dudes Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers, and at this point, thanks in large part to Brady, the Buccaneers are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Oh, and it appears that he and tight end Rob Gronkowski are just now getting warmed up. Even when he’s not wearing a Patriots uniform, Brady is scary.

Drew Brees (41 years old): It seems obvious to say this, but Brees isn’t the great player he used to be. He used to be a top three (or, at worst, a top five) quarterback for most of his career. He’s no longer that. But he’s still better than average, and he’s still completing a league-high 72.6% percent of his passes to go with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. He’s still passed for at least 280 yards in four out of his past five games. And the Saints still have a top-10 offense. Brees might have to beat Brady to win the NFC South. But failing that, he’s still primed to lead New Orleans to its fourth-straight playoff appearance.

Ben Roethlisberger (38 years old): In 2020, the Steelers might be the best team in the AFC. In 2019, the Steelers didn’t have a winning record for the first time in five seasons and missed the playoffs. In part, that’s the difference between Roethlisberger as your quarterback and the duo of Mason Rudolph and Duck Hodges having to fill in. If you had questions about Roethlisberger this year because he missed most of last season with an injured elbow, you wouldn’t be alone. Though Roethlisberger led the league in passing yards in 2018, he’s opened himself to a different style of football this year where he’s leaning more heavily on RPOs and getting the football out of his hands as quickly as possible. So far, it’s working. He’s managing the game well, and his team is 6-0. Not bad for a dude who’s inching closer to 40.

Philip Rivers (38 years old): Out of everybody on this list, Rivers might be the only one who’s average (or below average) as it relates to the rest of the league. He was unimpressive last year in his final season with the Chargers, and this year, he’s only been fine (though his six interceptions to go with his seven passing touchdowns isn’t so great). Rivers is a $25 million placeholder in Indianapolis, but it wouldn’t be a shock to see him out of the league by this time next year. Rivers used to be a great quarterback, but he certainly hasn’t been a great old quarterback.

Aaron Rodgers (36 years old): How pissed was Rodgers when the Packers selected Utah State quarterback Jordan Love as their first-round pick in 2020? So pissed that Rodgers has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league this year. He’s had one poor game, in a blowout loss to Brady’s Buccaneers. Other than that Week 6 contest, Rodgers has thrown for 17 touchdowns and zero interceptions and averaged 299.4 yards per game. In May, Rodgers was asked about the Love selection. He said, “The general reaction, at first, was surprise, like many people. Not going to say I was thrilled by the pick, necessarily. But I understand the organization is not thinking just about the present, but the future and I respect that.” Funny thing about that. For now, Rodgers isn’t ready for the future to take over his spot.

In January 2019, the Ringer published an interesting story about the “forever quarterback.” As author Kevin Clark wrote, “A generation of quarterbacks is performing at such a high level into their late 30s and, in some cases, early 40s, that they’re challenging our notions about longevity and team-building. We cannot say they are better than previous generations at their ages, because no comparison exists. A unique class of quarterbacks has emerged, the beneficiaries of advancements in sports science, rule changes, practice limitations, and a league that failed to develop talent at the position for about a decade.”

Maybe a quarterback is expected to peak in his late 20s or early 30s. Maybe the six players listed above are anomalies. But maybe not. After all, quarterbacks are protected from big hits like never before, and they keep their bodies in shape better than ever (compared to, say, Len Dawson smoking a cigarette at halftime of the first Super Bowl). The lack of a normal offseason and preseason might have been better for their aging bodies. Or maybe, in the case of Brady and Brees and Roethlisberger, a stable coaching staff for most of their careers has made the difference. Either way, they’re aging gracefully and successfully.

Burrow and Herbert and Murray and Mahomes might be the future of the league. But right now, the past (and their passes) is still plenty good in the present.