No Game for Old Men: Collins, Favre, and Warner Are All Better With Age

The NFL is supposed to belong to the young man, right? It's a world dominated by high-speed, illogically agile, ridiculously strong superhuman athletes filing in through a revolving door. Many men enter, few are talented enough to remain.

Once players reach a certain age, their careers become a countdown to their official retirement. It's no longer about their experience or ability—it's about how much of a liability they are on the field; it's about their cost-effectiveness as the youth movement is initiated by the team that's exploited their bodies.

Should fans expect an organization to hinder the growth of their youth for an older player that won't be around in the near future? How can a team reasonably gauge how much someone has left in their tank?

As of Week 11, three NFL teams holding first place in their divisions are led by three of the league's more tenured quarterbacks—three quarterbacks most fans had been expecting to write-off simply because they're on the wrong side of 35.

Refusing to believe that their best football was behind them, Kerry Collins, Brett Favre, and Kurt Warner all took the field by storm in 2008. And they are now redefining people's perceptions of age in the NFL. How old is still young enough?

All three men have had their successes and their pitfalls, their glory and their misery—and in 2008, they are all enjoying some of the best seasons of their illustrious careers in a league that's infatuated with the next young phenom.

Kerry Collins: The Right Man at the Right Time

Raise your hand if you believed the Tennessee Titans were in trouble when Jeff Fisher named Kerry Collins as his starting quarterback.

Stop lying and raise your hand.

Kerry Collins had fallen off the map for two years when he was enveloped by the black hole in Oakland. His final year with the Raiders wasn't a bad one—throwing for nearly 4,000 yards with 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2005. But his age was more significant than his stats. His best years were supposed to have been left in New York.

When Oakland chose to part ways with Collins, he had difficulty finding a new team until the Titans came calling days before Week One of the 2006 season. He was expected to be the supportive, veteran presence for their shiny, new quarterback. An insurance policy, if you will.

Never did the Titans imagine that he'd be the leader of their undefeated team two years later.

Perhaps it's Collins' wisdom of the game. Maybe it's the exceptional running game in Nashville. Whatever it is, he's enjoying one of the greatest seasons he's ever had in a long career peppered with disappointments.

His Tennessee Titans are owners of a long win-streak, and he's doing more than anyone wanted to give him credit for during the first half of 2008. He may be helped by two young running backs, but when they were taken away by the opposition, Collins reminded everyone that he can still throw the ball.

He may not be threatening any of his previously established career highs, but he's enjoying the same kind of efficiency no one believed he had left in him after 2005.

Better with age? There's not much to write that hasn't already been printed regarding his troubled history with the Carolina Panthers. But his success depends upon one's definition. Do statistics define success, or does his ability to do what needs to be done cement his place among the elite in 2008?

Obviously, his time with the New York Giants was the most glamorous, but Collins has continued to be the warrior that everyone overlooks. 

Brett Favre: Aren't You Glad He Came Back?

Everyone knows all about Favre's competitive spirit. Did anyone really expect his retirement announcement to be final?

Don't even bother raising your hand this time, you liar.

Emotions varied throughout the spectrum when he officially announced his desire to return to football. Some reacted with jubilation, but more felt a slight pang of resentment for the veteran. A lot of people were just confused.

No one should have expected the old man to let his final professional pass be an interception that went for a touchdown.

But when the 2008 season began and Favre took the field in a uniform that was unfamiliar to everyone, no one knew what to expect anymore. The New York Jets won the Brett Favre sweepstakes, and have experienced everything Brett Favre has ever offered in his never-ending career.

A thrilling victory for first place in the division is the quality football the New York Jets expected when they dealed for the star quarterback. The jury was out on Favre during the first-half of the season, but he's more than cemented his place in an NFL season where he wasn't expected to be a participant.

Through 10 games, Jets' fans have seen the phenomenal Favre that can pick apart a defense effortlessly. And they've seen the faltering Favre that will throw a costly interception at the most inopportune time.

Then they've seen the fortunate Favre that can throw three interceptions in one game, but still come away with a victory for his team.

It's the kind of football that no one else in the NFL can play, and he's made it common-place in his career. There are things expected of a professional quarterback, and then there's Brett Favre.

This isn't the 1995 Brett Favre on the field. He's not en route to a 38-touchdown, 4,400-yard season. But it's the same consistent Favre that has reserved his spot in Canton, Ohio.

Better with age? It's not so much a question of his age as much it is about wondering if he even ages at all.

Even when Favre is mediocre, he's good enough to be better than most of the other quarterbacks in the league. He hasn't thrown for less than 3,500 yards since 1993, and looks to continue that tradition.

Kurt Warner: Not As Old As You Think

NFL players take a beating in their careers. Seeing players still on the field and contributing after a certain age always leaves people wondering how they do it.

But what NFL fans seem to forget is that Kurt Warner hasn't had the traditional football career. It hasn't been that long since Warner came from nowhere to lead the St. Louis Rams to the Super Bowl.

He's not the 37-year-old quarterback on the back end of a 15-year career where his body has been abused. He's taken hits, but not the same amount as quarterbacks even younger than he is.

In football years, Kurt Warner is only in his early 30's.

While most of the old men around him have played in the league since their early 20's, being chased down and smacked by monstrous barbarians, Warner has had the benefit of enduring less physical trauma.

There's a lot to be said about reaching a certain age and wondering how much more punishment the human body can reasonably absorb. Warner is ahead of the curve in this area.

While NFL fans figured his age had finally caught up to him after sustaining a nagging thumb injury, Warner remained in the NFL.

Finding new homes with teams that assumed he'd only be a stop-gap measure while their youth was nurtured made Warner a victim of age discrimination.

Warner has been victimized by the new guy for over five seasons. Organizations wanted to see their new investment on the field because smart money told them that Warner was getting too old to continue leading the team.

Arizona has been reaping the benefits of their arrogance. Allowing a great quarterback to do what he does has given the Cardinals a commanding lead in their division. It's allowed them to finally utilize the talent they've had for years to the fullest extent.

And it's all because of Warner and the leadership he brings to the game.

Better with age? Without a doubt, Kurt Warner is as ageless as anyone in the league. Barring any injuries, Warner could potentially play for another five seasons.

This isn't one last lap around the field for the veteran. He's not trying to go out with a bang. He's a man whose body doesn't realize it's age.

All he needs is an organization that will trust him to be the honest man that he is—when Warner realizes he's done, he will bow out gracefully. Until such a time, let him dazzle you every time he drops back.

Angel Navedo is the Head Writer at NYJetsFan.com, boasting Jet Fuel Radio, frequently updated news and opinions, and a premier fan community. He is also the Community Leader for the New York Jets on Bleacher Report.