Best 'Old Guy' Seasons in Sports Since 2015
Even though Father Time is undefeated in professional sports, some of the best athletes in history have put up a heck of a fight.
LeBron James, for example, turns 40 years old on Dec. 30, 2024. He's not merely an icon who is clinging to a roster spot because of his reputation; "The King" remains among the NBA's most productive players.
Really, he's just the latest superstar in a widespread trend.
During the past decade, we've watched some "old guys" set the standard in their respective sports. While the most notable players are NFL quarterbacks, it's happened in MLB and the NHL, as well.
The list is subjective, ordered chronologically (with one exception, sort of) and focused on players in their age-38 seasons or later.
David Ortiz, 2016
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The postseason ended on a sour note, considering the Boston Red Sox fell to Cleveland in a three-game ALDS sweep.
David Ortiz dazzled in his final MLB campaign, though.
As a 40-year-old, the powerful designated hitter launched 38 homers, paced the American League with 127 RBI and led the majors with 48 doubles. Ortiz tallied a .315 batting average, .401 on-base percentage and an MLB-best .620 slugging percentage.
After landing his 10th All-Star nod, Ortiz finished sixth in AL MVP voting and earned his seventh and final Silver Slugger.
Drew Brees, 2018
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Among his four qualifying seasons, Drew Brees enjoyed the most success at 39 years old during his 2018 campaign.
Brees set an NFL record with a 74.4 completion percentage while throwing for 3,992 yards and 32 touchdowns to five interceptions. He guided the New Orleans Saints to a 13-3 record and an NFC South crown, finishing second in both MVP and Offensive Player of the Year voting.
Unfortunately for Brees, a controversial uncalled pass interference in the NFC Championship Game ended the Saints' hope of a title. They bowed out to the Los Angeles Rams in a 26-23 overtime loss.
New Orleans, nevertheless, made a legitimate run toward a Super Bowl behind a hyper-efficient Brees.
Nelson Cruz, 2019
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As part of a record-setting Minnesota Twins lineup in 2019, Nelson Cruz was an ideal designated hitter.
He didn't play a single inning as a fielder, and that was perfectly fine.
Cruz notched a .311/.392/.639 triple-slash at 38 years old, blasting a team-high 41 homers and driving in 108 runs. Partially thanks to him, the AL Central-winning Twins made MLB history with 307 total home runs.
In addition to winning the third of his four career Silver Sluggers, Cruz finished ninth in AL MVP voting.
Aaron Rodgers, 2021
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As a 37-year-old quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers won the league MVP. And he did it again at 38.
Rodgers threw for 4,115 yards and 37 touchdowns to four interceptions, adding 101 yards and three scores as a runner. Green Bay collected 13 wins and secured the NFC North for the third straight year.
Yes, there was soon all-too-familiar heartbreak in the postseason. Green Bay lost to the San Francisco 49ers—for a fourth time in a decade—during the Divisional Round, and it ended up being the organization's 11th and final trip to the playoffs with Rodgers at the helm.
Along the way, though, the Packers enjoyed one last elite season from a franchise legend.
Tom Brady, 2021 (but Pick a Year)
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Look, there are only about a half-dozen options here. Tom Brady is the absolute gold standard of late-career excellence.
As a member of the New England Patriots, he finished second in MVP voting at 38 years old in 2015, accomplished the same and won a Super Bowl in 2016, earned the MVP in 2017 and won a Super Bowl in 2018. Brady left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 and, at 43, propelled the Bucs to their second NFL title.
Basically any of those seasons could be a worthy choice.
My pick is the 2021 campaign simply because he was 44 freaking years old in his last top-level season. Brady passed for 5,316 yards—the third-best total in NFL history—and a league-high 43 touchdowns. Tampa went 13-4 and won the NFC South as Brady was the MVP runner-up.
Brady, incredibly, could be a Hall of Fame selection based solely on what he did after turning 38 years old.
Joe Pavelski, 2022-23
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Joe Pavelski was like a fine wine, getting better with age.
Even before this memorable season, he made "old guy history" with 13 goals for the Dallas Stars during the 2020 playoffs. Nobody aged 35 or older had ever scored more in a single postseason.
That surge sparked a renewed Pavelski, who amassed 81 points in 2021-22 and 77 in 2022-23 at 38 years old. In the latter season, he became the first 38-plus player to score at least seven goals in a playoff series. Pavelski ended the 2023 postseason with 14 points in 14 games, helping the Stars advance to the Western Conference Final.
A legend for the San Jose Sharks prior to his career-closing run in Dallas, Pavelski retired with 1,068 points.
LeBron James, 2023-24
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone and LeBron James are the only NBA players to average 20-plus points per game during their age-38 season or later.
LeBron is trending toward that production for a third time, something none of the others did more than twice.
For now, the recent 2023-24 campaign stands as James' best old-man year. He averaged 25.7 points—and shot 54.0 percent overall with a career-best 41.0 three-point clip—8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds, earning third-team All-NBA and his 20th All-Star appearance.
The best version of LeBron is presumably in the past, yet he's still an unquestionably elite player at 40 years old.
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