We’re through six weeks of this NFL season. As November nears, we’ve got a pretty clear picture of contenders and pretenders, stars and busts, winners and losers.
Boomer Esiason introduced an interesting segment on “The NFL Today” this past Sunday that I thought was quite telling: “The Top 5 NFL quarterbacks that are 25 or younger so far this season.” So, I thought I’d take Boomer a step further, analyzing five quarterbacks that, despite their old age, are still flat-out getting it done. I’m going to use 32 as the minimum to make this list, since there aren’t too many quarterbacks over 35 that start on a regular basis in the NFL. So, let’s get to it.
5/ Philip Rivers / San Diego Chargers (34 years old)
Rivers hasn’t enjoyed the postseason success that the other guys on this list have experienced, but that’s not to say he isn’t one of the greatest quarterbacks of the 21st century from a statistical standpoint. Rivers has been to five Pro Bowls, and won the 2013 NFL Comeback Player of the Year award for his efforts after a down year in 2012. In 2016, Rivers has put up impressive numbers, but it hasn’t often translated to wins because of some serious holes in San Diego’s defense. The win over Denver was impressive, but let’s wait and see if Rivers can lead this team back into the playoff picture.
4/ Eli Manning/ New York Giants (35 years old)
Eli deserves to be on this list for one big reason–no one is more durable in this entire league. Manning hasn’t missed a start since he relieved Kurt Warner in Week 11 of the 2004 season. He’s also saved a lot of his best stuff for recent years. Manning was largely inconsistent in his earlier years; he did win two Super Bowls, but both championship teams had incredible defenses and a sound running game. However, Manning has proven in the last three seasons that he is among the best the NFL has to offer. In 2014 and 2015 combined, Manning threw 65 touchdowns to just 28 interceptions. Pretty solid if you ask me. This season, Manning hasn’t benefited from an offensive line that continues to get dragged down by unreliable left tackle Ereck Flowers, but that strike to OBJ on Sunday was something.
3/ Aaron Rodgers/ Green Bay Packers (32 years old)
The Packers have gotten off to a bit of a slower start than usual this season, sitting at 3-2 after a surprisingly sound defeat at home to the Cowboys in Week 6. This has reflected the play of Rodgers, who hasn’t been as sharp as he typically has been. He’s got his biggest weapon back in Jordy Nelson, but Rodgers seemed to struggle leading his team down the field in a consistent manner against Dallas. Fortunately for Rodgers, the Pack have a relatively easy matchup this week as they prepare to take on the Chicago Bears. The Green Bay offense-Chicago defense matchup is fixing to be a huge mismatch, as the scale will be tipped soundly in favor of the Packers. Rodgers deserves to make this list because of the accolades he’s piled up throughout his illustrious career, but this list is, after all, about the present. If he can go out and have a monster game on Sunday against the Bears, he’ll prove why he belongs on this list.
2/ Drew Brees / New Orleans Saints (37 years old)
It’s hard not to like Drew Brees. On and off the field, he’s proven to be the consummate professional. This year, he’s been at the forefront of the efforts to keep the Saints’ heads above water, as the defense has proven to be entirely ineffective. This team gives up an insane amount of points (I wouldn’t be surprised to see them approach the single-season record by Weeks 16 or 17), but Brees has kept Who Dat Nation in games that they probably should’ve gotten blown out of. Brees has shown that he’s still as athletic as he’s always been. I’ve always felt that Brees’ success at quarterback, given his height, has been understated. Well, at age 37, he’s had a little experience making critics look bad.
1/ Tom Brady/ New England Patriots (39 years old)
Sure, Brady’s only played in two games this season, but he wasted no time in re-adjusting to the system he’s excelled in for so many years. Brady eclipsed the 400-yard passing mark in a 33-13 win over Cleveland, and tossed three touchdown passes in a 35-17 win over Cincinnati. He might be the oldest quarterback on this list, but Brady still seems as sharp now as he was when he was one of the younger QBs in football. Brady benefits from a receiving corps that ranks among the best in football, but a lot of what TB12 does on the field comes down to intuition and experience. He just makes it look easy.
