The Steelers suffer from a case of ‘Tom Brady syndrome’

Aging quarterbacks are a liability

There was a point when quarterbacks reached the ripe age of 31 or 32; their career was practically over.  In part, the game was much rougher, and the quarterbacks took far more abuse. These days, the NFL has tighter restrictions on how and when you can hit the quarterback; their bodies do not absorb as much punishment. Then combine that with the advances in conditioning and nutritional regiments, quarterbacks are in much better shape than their contemporaries from years past.

Thus quarterbacks lead a team much longer, and as long as they can produce, teams and fans seem willing to stay by them much longer than perhaps they should. Tom Brady still does it, so everyone figures their quarterback can do it too. The problem is Brady is an outlier. He is the one exception to the rule aging quarterbacks are a liability.

Outside of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning is the only other quarterback older than 31 to reach the Superbowl since 2016. Then you have to go back to 2009 when an aging Kurt Warner led the Cardinals to the Superbowl in a losing effort.

The 2003 Superbowl is the only real abnormality in which Rich Gannon, 37, led the Raiders while facing Brad Johnson, 34, leading Tampa Bay.  Again outside of Brady since 1999, only Manning, Johnson, and John Elway have won a Superbowl past the age of 31. Since 1967, excluding Tom Brady, all 22 other quarterbacks over 31 have gone 16-17. On the other hand, Tom Brady, after reaching 32, has gone 4-2. Brady is genuinely an outlier, and teams fielding aging quarterbacks are just less likely to go all the way.