They say playing in the NFL is a young man's game and to a certain degree they're right. Players at some of the most crucial positions need to be spry and versatile in order to succeed. But some teams value veteran presence and wisdom over those attributes.
This happens more frequently at the quarterback position and we're seeing it happen with a couple teams for the upcoming season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will be starting a 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers under center for Week 1 while thier division rivals, the Cleveland Browns, are starting 40-year-old Joe Flacco. Both will be among some of the oldest passers to ever get the starting nod for opening day in NFL history.
Here's where they stack up compared to other QBs to start Week 1 at age 40 or older (h/t u/The_Throwback_King on Reddit).
Player | Team | Age (Y-D) | Seasons | Yds/TDs/INTs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tom Brady | New England/Tampa Bay | 40Y-035D / 45Y-039D | 2017-2022 | 27,632 yds/193 TDs/60 INTs |
Warren Moon | Seattle | 41Y-292D | 1998 | 1,632 yds/11 TDs/8 INTs |
Aaron Rodgers | NY Jets/Pittsburgh | 40Y-282D / 41Y-280D | 2024-25 | 3,897 yds/28 TDs/11 INTs |
Drew Brees | New Orleans | 40Y-237D / 41Y-242 D | 2019-2020 | 5,921 yds/51 TDs/10 INTs |
Brett Favre | Minnesota | 40Y-334D | 2010 | 2,509 yds/11 TDs/19 INTs |
Vinny Testaverde | Dallas | 40Y-304D | 2004 | 3,532 yds/17 TDs/20 INTs |
Joe Flacco | Cleveland | 40Y-234D | 2025 | TBD |
Johnny Unitas | San Diego | 40Y-132D | 1973 | 471 yds/3 TDs/7 INTs |
Joe Flacco is among the oldest starting quarterbacks in NFL history
The Browns are bestowing an honor on Flacco by starting him in Week 1. He'll become the seventh-oldest QB to start a season for a franchise but there's zero guarantee he'll still be the starter by the time January rolls around.
Flacco has rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel competing in the wings for his job and that doesn't even include the injured Kenny Pickett and Deshaun Watson who could also join the mix if there aren't any trades before the 53-man roster has to be determined.
Why are the Browns starting Joe Flacco in Week 1?
Despite his age, there's a reason Cleveland picked him to get under center for Week 1 at least. He's shown consistency and that's about all the Browns can ask for as they prepare to shift away from the Watson era. Flacco's 1,761 passing yards and 12 touchdowns in eight games played (six starts) last year is still mighty impressive.
He may not be the long-term solution (only Tom Brady could arguably be viewed as such on that list) but he shouldn't endure the criticism or insults that may be thrown his way online when he inevitably makes a mistake. He can only do so much at this point in his career and that becomes even harder when playing for Cleveland.
The Browns are likely in for a rough campaign. That is no secret, even to the coaching staff. The best they can hope to accomplish this season is finding a young quarterback to build around – or discovering that they have none. This starts with Flacco, who can teach both Sanders and Gabriel the ropes.