QBs for the ages: How does Tom Brady compare to John Elway
Yes, Tom Brady is the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards. And touchdowns. And almost every other passing statistic. But what is remarkable — what sets him apart from most athletes in most sports — is that he is still playing at age 45 and still performing at an elite level.
To put that in perspective, we’ve come up with a list of history’s greatest quarterbacks as a comparison. Each week, we’ll look at the final three seasons of a different quarterback versus what Brady has done with the Bucs in, presumably, his final three seasons.
It’s not a perfect apples-to-apples comparison, because there are differences in eras and most quarterbacks are retired long before 45. But it does give you an idea of how rare it is to see a player still dominating while holding off middle age.
Brady vs. Elway
The set-up: On the short list of the greatest quarterbacks in history, Elway was the quintessential dual threat. He is one of two QBs (Aaron Rodgers) with at least 50,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards. He was the No. 1 overall pick in 1983, which is generally considered the most talented QB draft class ever, and went on to make nine Pro Bowls and win the 1987 MVP. He took the Broncos to six AFC Championship Games and five Super Bowls. Brady is the only QB with more starts in the Super Bowl.
The end: As talented as he was, Elway carried the baggage of an 0-3 record in the Super Bowl going into his mid-30s. In 1996, Denver had the best record in the AFC at 13-3 but was upset by Jacksonville in the division round. At that point in his career, Elway was 7-7 in the postseason. Over the next two seasons, at ages 37 and 38, Elway went 7-0 in the playoffs with back-to-back Super Bowl victories before retiring. No quarterback has ever finished his career with a greater flourish than Elway.
Elway
Years: 1996-98
Ages: 36-38
Completed 777 of 1,324 passes with 75 touchdowns and 35 interceptions for 9,769 yards and a 89.6 passer rating. Was 35-8 as a starter.
Brady
Brady in Week 15: The worst season of Brady’s career is now veering toward embarrassing and sad. Not even a strong first half against the Bengals could wash away the stink of the second half. Brady threw two interceptions and was responsible for two fumbles as his team blew a 17-point lead for one of the few times in his career. With three weeks remaining in the regular season, Brady has already lost more games than any of his previous 21 seasons as a starting quarterback.
Years: 2020-22
Ages: 43-45
Has completed 1,297 of 1,952 with 103 touchdowns and 31 interceptions for 13,846 yards and a 97.9 passer rating. Is 30-17 as a starter.
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