NFL QBs Who Were Still Productive in Their 40s

Playing quarterback in the NFL is a young man's game, but the old guard occasionally manages to stick around.

And by the old guard, we mostly mean Tom Brady.

However, the seven-time Super Bowl champion—who lifted the Lombardi Trophy twice as a quadragenarian—is one of four quarterbacks who still produced at a high level in their age-40 season or later. Not coincidentally, I would say, each one of them is also a Hall of Famer.

Including three honorable mentions, the seven players who threw for 1,500-plus yards in a season are highlighted.

Honorable Mentions

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Matt Hasselbeck

Matt Hasselbeck

In the final season of his career, Matt Hasselbeck did an admirable job as Andrew Luck's injury replacement. Hasselbeck started eight games, helping the Indianapolis Colts register a 5-3 record. Although he struggled a bit down the stretch, Hasselbeck still contributed 211.3 passing yards per game and tossed nine touchdowns to five interceptions.

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Sonny Jurgensen

Back in 1974, Sonny Jurgensen shuffled in and out of the lineup with Billy Kilmer. Jurgensen went 3-1 in his starts, also leading Washington to a victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in relief. The future Hall of Famer threw for 1,135 yards with 11 scores to five picks in his appearances.

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Vinny Testaverde

It's a fair question of whether to include Vinny Testaverde, who played five years in his 40s largely as a backup. Plus, his lone season (2004) as a full-time starter included 3,532 yards and 17 touchdowns to 20 interceptions. While the Dallas Cowboys ended 5-10 in his starts, Testaverde merits a mention because he held the QB1 role throughout the year.

Warren Moon

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Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon of the Seattle Seahawks looks for an open receiver during a 37-31 victory over the San Diego Chargers on November 9, 1997 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. (Photo by Peter Brouillet/Getty Images)

Warren Moon began the 1997 season as the backup, but a broken thumb sidelined John Friesz in the opener.

Overall, the Seattle Seahawks left the year moderately disappointed. They posted an 8-8 record and missed the playoffs by one game. Moon, however, had a commendable season at age 41.

Moon set a franchise record with 3,678 yards, tossed 25 touchdowns—the third-highest total of his career—and made the Pro Bowl.

Seattle also trotted out Moon for 10 starts in 1998, although he didn't fare as well and would be benched for Jon Kitna.

Brett Favre

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Football: Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre (4) at line of scrimmage vs Cincinnati Bengals. Minneapolis, MN 12/13/2009 CREDIT: John Biever (Photo by John Biever /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X83330 TK1 R4 F10 )

During the final two seasons of his 20-year career, Brett Favre suited up for the Minnesota Vikings.

One went great; the other—well, not so much.

Favre excelled in 2009, completing a career-high 68.4 percent of his passes with 4,202 yards and 33 touchdowns to seven interceptions. He propelled the Vikings to an NFC North title at 12-4 and finished fourth in MVP voting. Yes, his interception in the NFC Championship loss is a stinging memory, but this production is undeniable.

On the other hand, Favre's farewell campaign in 2010 was forgettable. He tossed only 11 scores compared to 19 picks, and his career ended unceremoniously after a concussion in Week 15.

Drew Brees

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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 24: Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints reacts during a game against the Carolina Panthers at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on November 24, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Injuries limited Drew Brees to 11 and 12 games in his last two seasons, but the ever-efficient quarterback had superb years.

As teammate Michael Thomas set the single-season NFL record for receptions in 2019, Brees paced the league with a 74.3 completion rate. He totaled 2,979 yards and 27 touchdowns to four interceptions in 11 games, and the New Orleans Saints ended up winning the NFC South.

New Orleans won another division title in 2020 as Brees put up 2,942 yards and 24 scores to six picks.

Although the Saints didn't advance past the Divisional Round of either postseason, Brees remained a high-impact player until retirement.

Tom Brady

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TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 07: Tom Brady raises the Lombardi Trophy with his daughter Vivian Brady during the award ceremony for Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium on February 07, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs by the score of 31-09. (Photo by Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty Images)

He's the Greatest of All Time for a reason, you know.

As a 40-year-old in 2017, Tom Brady passed for an NFL-leading 4,577 yards. He tossed 32 scores en route to winning his third MVP, guiding the New England Patriots to an AFC East crown at 13-3 and a trip to the Super Bowl, where they fell to the Eagles.

The next season, he threw for 4,355 yards and 29 touchdowns before the Pats defeated the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl. After that, Brady collected 4,057 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2019. New England won the AFC East in both of those seasons, too.

Brady then joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. And he promptly won another Super Bowl.

In three seasons with the Bucs, he passed for 4,633 yards and 40 touchdowns, NFL-best totals of 5,316 yards and 43 scores and 4,694 yards and 25 touchdowns. Brady was the MVP runner-up in 2021, as well.

Upon his retirement following the 2022 season, Brady had enjoyed a prolific NFL career—two rings, one MVP (and nearly another) and six playoff appearances—in his 40s alone.