How Andrew Luck Compares to NFL Greats at Age 25

Friday marks the 25th anniversary of Andrew Luck's birth. This is, of course, only notable to non-relatives of Luck due to his uncanny ability to throw a football.

But just how rare of a talent is Luck? Other great quarterbacks have certainly come through the league over the years. How do their successes at this early stage stack up against Luck's?

The list will mention a number of notable accomplishments, including number of wins, passing statistics and any playoff exploits the passer achieved.

Let's start with the young Stanford product himself.

Andrew Luck—turned 25 on September 12, 2014

Notable achievements:

• Drafted No. 1 overall by Indianapolis Colts in 2012 NFL draft
• Most passing yards by a rookie in a single season (4,374)
• Most passing yards for a quarterback through his first two seasons (8,196)
• Most wins by a No. 1 pick QB in his rookie season (11)
• Most fourth-quarter comebacks by a rookie (seven)

Regular-season record: 22-11

Postseason record: 1-2

There are few very superlatives that haven't already been used to describe Luck. He took a team that won all of two games in 2011, earning it the right to draft him, and turned it into a back-to-back 11-win squad.

With NFL two seasons under his belt, like many, NFL.com's Adam Schein predicts 2014 to be the year Luck ascends to the ranks of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL.

While only time will tell, Luck is working with the best Indianapolis Colts offense during his tenure as the quarterback in Indy.

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

Peyton Manning—turned 25 on March 24, 2001

Notable achievements:

• Drafted No. 1 overall by Indianapolis Colts in 1998 NFL draft
• One-time Super Bowl champion (2006)
• Holds record for touchdown passes in a season (55)
• Holds record for passing yards in a season (5,477)
• Five-time NFL MVP winner

Regular-season record (at 25): 26-22

Postseason record (at 25): 0-2

Luck's predecessor in Indianapolis turned out to be one of, if not the greatest quarterback of all time. Once a hero to the fans of Indianapolis, multiple neck surgeries and the presence of Luck in the draft caused Indy to move on from Manning.

Manning compares very similarly to Luck in the early goings. While Manning recorded more touchdowns through his first two seasons, he also collected far more interceptions. Luck has Manning beat in yardage and wins. He has also recorded his first playoff victory, which Manning did not do until his sixth year in the league.

Anonymous/Associated Press

John Elway—turned 25 on June 28, 1985

Notable achievements:

• Drafted No. 1 overall by the Baltimore Colts in 1983 (traded to Denver Broncos)
• Led Broncos to six AFC Championships and five Super Bowls (won two)
• Member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame
• Retired as the winningest quarterback of all time (currently ranks third)
• Won one NFL MVP and one Super Bowl MVP

Regular-season record (at 25): 16-8

Postseason record (at 25): 0-1

Another all-time great quarterback drafted by the Colts franchise, Elway is widely considered one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game.

His late-game heroics are especially legendary, stemming in no small way from his execution of "The Drive" in the 1986 AFC Championship against the Cleveland Browns. The 98-yard, roughly five-minute drive resulted in a game-tying touchdown that sent the contest into overtime, which the Broncos would later win via field goal.

Statistically, Luck towers over Elway at this stage. However, as we've been well-informed, it's now a passing league. It wasn't always that way, of course. It's therefore difficult to compare the two on raw statistical production. What bodes so well for Luck is that he's already displayed the same penchant for both winning and coming through in clutch situations.

Lennox McLendon/Associated Press

Joe Montana—turned 25 on June 11, 1981

Notable achievements:

• Only three-time Super Bowl MVP winner
• Four-time Super Bowl champion
• Recorded 11 touchdown passes and zero interceptions in four Super Bowl appearances
• Two-time NFL MVP

Regular-season record (at 25): 2-6

Postseason record (at 25): 0-0

"Cool" Joe is often named the single greatest quarterback in the history of professional football. His best attribute, as can be inferred from his nickname (also known as "The Comeback Kid"), was his poise in pressure situations. His ability to come back from deficits earned him 31 fourth-quarter comeback victories, which has him tied (for now) with Tom Brady for fourth-most ever.

However, if Luck's pace continues, pundits will have to think of a clever way to call Luck clutch, since he will destroy Montana's career comebacks number. After 33 NFL games in his career, Luck has already tallied eight such fourth-quarter comebacks. He's also engineered 11 game-winning drives, compared to Montana's career total of 33. While it will take some time for Luck to catch up, his pace is blistering.

DOUG MILLS/Associated Press

Brett Favre—turned 25 on October 10, 1994

Notable achievements:

• Only quarterback to record at least 70,000 passing yards, 500 touchdowns and 300 interceptions
• Played for 20 years in the NFL
• Only player to win three consecutive NFL MVP awards
• One-time Super Bowl champion
• Holds record for consecutive starts by a quarterback in the NFL (321, including postseason)

Regular-season record (at 25): 20-15

Postseason record (at 25): 1-1

Former Green Bay Packers, New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings signal-caller Brett Favre joins Luck as the first quarterback on this list with a playoff win by his 25th birthday. Favre ended up with 13 postseason victories in his career, including a Super Bowl win in 1996 against the New England Patriots.

Prolific in throwing both touchdowns and interceptions, Favre holds another record that the Colts' superstar quarterback will someday hope to break: consecutive starts. For all his ups and downs on the field, the one constant with Favre was his reliability. Fans knew they could count on No. 4 to be under center every Sunday, come rain, sleet or snow.

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Dan Marino—turned 25 on September 15, 1986

Notable achievements:

• First NFL quarterback to surpass 5,000 passing yards in one season
• Set single-season NFL record for passing touchdowns (48), which has since been bested three times
• Fifth-most wins all time by an NFL quarterback
• One-time NFL MVP winner

Regular season record (at 25): 34-9

Postseason record (at 25): 3-3

Luck will be doing everything in his power to avoid the postseason career that Marino had. Although he is very well-regarded by the historians of the NFL, Marino was never able to lift the Lombardi Trophy as the last team standing.

His first, and only, attempt at a Super Bowl title did, however, come before his 25th birthday. He led the Miami Dolphins to Super Bowl XIX at just 23 years and 127 days old. Though the Fins lost the game, his performance at the tender age of 23 serves as the ultimate measuring stick, to which young quarterbacks can only aspire.

Marino's early record as a starter in the league is shockingly impressive, but his drop-off after turning 25 was equally staggering. Marino missed the playoffs four consecutive years after 1985 and finished out his career with an 8-10 postseason record.

Comparing Marino's individual talent against his win-loss records is one of the most sobering reminders that football is not a game dominated by individuals, but rather it's the ultimate team sport.

*Any stats not specifically sourced were compiled from Pro-Football-Reference.com.