Tom Brady celebrates his 42nd birthday on Aug. 3. The New England Patriots great is among these QBs who were in their fabulous 40s and continued to play. Another Patriots QB, Babe Parilli, just missed the list as he played until he was 39, finishing his career as a New York Jet.
Charlie Conerly
Charlie Conerly began his career in 1048, long before there was an AFL-NFL merger. Another Giants QB from Ole Miss, Conerly played until he was 42, splitting four games as a starter in 1061.
Len Dawson
Len Dawson played 14 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, who were the Dallas Texans when he started with them in 1962. He finished at 40 in 1975 when he started five games, going 1-4 and throwing five TD passes.
Jim Hart
Jim Hart spent his final season with the Washington Redskins. He was a St. Louis Cardinal for the rest of his career. At 40, Hart appeared in two games and completed 3-of-7 passes.
Drew Brees
Drew Brees needs no introduction, though he will be stepping into the 40 club when he takes his first snap in 2019 for the New Orleans Saints.
Vince Evans
Vince Evans spent his first seven seasons as a Chicago Bear. His career continued with the Raiders and he made it until he was 40 in 1995 when he started three games and played in nine, throwing 175 passes, six for TDs. In his entire career, he threw all of 52 scoring passes.
Joe Ferguson
Joe Ferguson made it into the 40 club, barely. He finished his career as an Indianapolis Colt, playing in one game and completing two passes for 21 yards.
Matt Hasselbeck
Matt Hasselbeck had one of the best seasons for a 40-year-old as a Colt. He started eight games and won five of them. He threw nine TD passes and for 1,690 yards. The starts in 2015 were his first since 2012.
Tom Brady
The G.O.A.T. There does not appear to be any stopping Tom Brady, an ageless wonder.
Mark Brunell
Mark Brunell capped his career as a New York Jet. He did not start any games in his two years there. As a 41-year-old, the lefty completed one pass for 27 yards.
Brett Favre
Brett Favre wasn’t going to be on the list, then he was, then he wasn’t then….you get the idea. Favre played most of his career in green, but finished it in purple as a Minnesota Viking. He threw for more than 2,500 yards and 11 TDs against 19 picks in 2010 as a 41-year-old.
Earl Morrall
Earl Morrall started his career as a Detroit Lion out of Michigan State in 1956 and finished it as a Miami Dolphin in 1976. Morrall played in Super Bowl III and was on the undefeated Dolphins of 1972. In his final season at 42, he threw 26 passes, including one TD.
Doug Flutie
Doug Flutie played in three leagues, the USFL, CFL and NFL. The Boston College standout finished his career at 43 as a Patriot, memorably nailing a dropkick for a PAT.
Vinny Testaverde
Vinny Testaverde started for the Panthers when he was 44 years and 26 days old. Overall, he made 233 starts for a multitude of teams.
Warren Moon
Warren Moon’s last start came when he was 44 years and eight days old. The former Washington star went to the CFL and was fantastic north of the border before signing with the Oilers and starring for them for many years.
Steve DeBerg
Steve DeBerg has the distinction of being the oldest QB to start an NFL game. He was 44 years and 249 days old when he went 9-for-20 for 117 yards and a pick in the Falcons’ 28-3 loss to the Jets on Oct. 25, 1998. “I think he would have to start a football game six seasons from now to break my record,” DeBerg told Sports Illustrated of Brady in 2017. “And, I actually think he’ll do it.”
George Blanda
The incomparable George Blanda (pictured, left) played quarterback until he was 48 years old. Well, he actually did more kicking than quarterbacking in his final years with the Oakland Raiders. However, Blanda did throw three passes with one completion in a game in 1975. He also completed one pass in 1974 and, of course, it went for a touchdown.
