Tom Brady Becomes First 42-Year-Old To Start 16 Games In NFL Season
FOXBORO (CBS) -- Tom Brady has stated time and time again that he intends to play into his mid-40s. In the meantime, he's setting some NFL history.
By starting Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins, Brady became the first 42-year-old player to ever start all 16 games in an NFL season. Brady took the first offensive snap of Sunday's game with 10:45 remaining in the first quarter and handed off to Sony Michel.
It's an accomplishment that has much to do with Brady's determination to play well past the age of 40, which has long been the expiration date for quarterbacks in the NFL. But it also has a lot to do with Brady's reliability and toughness.
Since taking over as the Patriots' starting quarterback in September of 2001, Brady has started 283 of a possible 302 games, only missing time in 2008 (15 games due to a knee injury suffered in Week 1) and 2016 (four games due to a league suspension). He's also started all 40 of the Patriots' playoff games this millennium, leading the Patriots to a 30-10 record, six Super Bowl victories, and nine AFC crowns.
Brady, who turned 42 years old in August, is truly in uncharted territory when it comes to NFL quarterbacking history.
After turning 42 in November 1998, Warren Moon started just one more game that season for the Seahawks. He'd stay in the NFL through age 44, but he started just one game and threw just 37 passes over his final two seasons.
Vinny Testaverde started four games at age 42 for the New York Jets in 2005, throwing one touchdown and six interceptions. He started zero games as a backup for the Patriots in 2006, and he started six games (with five touchdowns and six picks) as a 44-year-old for the Panthers in 2007. Doug Flutie played until age 43, but he didn't start any games in his final NFL season with the Patriots in 2005. A year prior, at age 42, he started just one game.
Steve DeBerg came out of a five-year retirement to play at age 44 for the Falcons in 1998, but he started jjust one game and threw just 59 total passes that season.
George Blanda kept an NFL job until he was 48 years old, though his quarterbacking duties largely ended at age 39. After turning 40, he started just one game, though he did throw 235 passes over nine seaosns, throwing 23 touchdowns and 18 interceptions for the Raiders during that time.
Among his contemporaries, Brady outlasted Peyton Manning (retired after age 39 season) and Brett Favre (retired after age 41 season). Drew Brees, currently 40 years old, appears to be willing and eager to keep playing through his early 40s, thus leading to an expected two-horse race for the claim to some of the NFL's all-time passing records.
Brady tied Manning on Sunday by starting 16 games for the 16th time of his career. Those two are tied for second place, behind Favre, who started 16 games 17 times during his career.
