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Some NFL quarterbacks have defied age by playing well into their 40s, even though many players in the league retire in their 30s.
Below, let's see the players that rank among the eight oldest quarterbacks to start an NFL game.
Oldest QBs to start in the NFL
8) Aaron Rodgers - 40 years old
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Aaron Rodgers is less than two months away from marking his 41st birthday, and he's still a starter in the NFL.
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The Achilles injury the veteran quarterback suffered just four snaps into the season last year raised concerns about his future in the league. His impending 40th birthday added to these worries, raising concerns about his capacity to bounce back quickly from such a serious injury.
However, Rodgers has returned for his 20th NFL season and has become the 8th oldest QB to start an NFL game.
7) Brett Favre - 41 years old
Brett Favre started last in the NFL in the 2010 season. He was 41 years and two months old in that game.
He suffered a concussion in December 2010 while playing for the Minnesota Vikings against the Chicago Bears. His failure to successfully complete NFL-mandated concussion tests kept him from playing against the Detroit Lions in the last game of the regular NFL season. Following that game, he declared his plan to retire from the NFL.
Favre held the record for most passing yards, passing touchdowns, and quarterback victories in NFL history at the time he retired.
6) Drew Brees - 42 years old
Quarterback Drew Brees played his last NFL game two days after turning 42. In that Divisional Round matchup, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated Brees' New Orleans Saints 30–20.
In that game, Brees completed 19 of his 34 throws for 134 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions, marking the first time the legendary quarterback ever threw three interceptions in a postseason game.
Brees announced that he would retire from the NFL two months later.
5) Doug Flutie - 42 years old
Doug Flutie played for the Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers, and New England Patriots during his over 22-year pro football career.
Flutie continued to play in the NFL until he was 43, but his final NFL start came at the age of 42 years, two months and 10 days. He made his final NFL start in the 2004 regular-season final game while playing for the San Diego Chargers.
4) Warren Moon - 44 years old
Warren Moon started his last game in the league as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, in a game against the San Diego Chargers that ended in a 17-16 loss in 2000. That game kicked off just eight days after the former undrafted free agent turned 44.
That game was the last one Warren started in an NFL career that saw him record 3,988 completed passes for 49,325 passing yards, 291 passing touchdowns, 1,736 rushing yards, and 22 rushing touchdowns.
3) Vinny Testaverde - 44 years old
Vinny Testaverde played in the NFL for 21 seasons till he was 44 years old. In December 2007, at 44 years and 26 days old, he made his final NFL start for the Carolina Panthers against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Testaverde had led Carolina to victory over the San Francisco 49ers a week before that game, setting a record that was eventually surpassed by Tom Brady as the oldest quarterback to win an NFL game.
2) Steve DeBerg — 44 years
Steve DeBerg made history when he broke the record for the oldest quarterback to start an NFL game in a game for the Atlanta Falcons in 1998. DeBerg was 44 years and 279 days old when he started that game against the New York Jets.
After being selected in the 1977 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, DeBerg spent time with the San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, and Atlanta Falcons.
1) Tom Brady - 45 years old
Who else? Tom Brady is the oldest quarterback to start an NFL game. He was 45 years, five months, and 13 days old when he made his final NFL start in January 2023.
Brady's last NFL game was a Wild Card Round contest in the playoffs of the 2022 season against the Dallas Cowboys. He threw for 351 yards and two touchdowns, but that wasn't enough for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win as they suffered a 31-14 loss.
Brady formally announced his NFL retirement a few weeks after that playoff disappointment. His career passing yards, completions, touchdown passes, and games started are among the numerous significant quarterback marks he still holds in the league.
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