In this week’s edition of the NFL Notebook, we look at how three future Hall of Famers made the most of their brief stopover in New England, we hear from Bret Bielema, and we wonder if there’s cause for concern the Patriots didn’t have anyone in ESPN’s under-25 all-stars. But first, with all the talk about Tom Brady playing until he’s “cuarenta y cinco,” we asked a guy who came the closest to starting an NFL game at that age what might be in store for Brady if he wants to play until his mid-40s.
1. Steve DeBerg is well aware that Tom Brady is coming for one of his records — the oldest quarterback in NFL history to start a game.
DeBerg, who played 17 years in the NFL, made the final start of his career on Oct. 25, 1998 for the Falcons against the Dolphins. He was 44 years, 279 days old, and finished 9-for-20 for 117 yards and a pick. (It’s worth noting that he played the rest of that season in a backup role, and threw his last pass on Dec. 27, 1998 in a win over the Dolphins. On that date, he was 44 years, 342 days old.)
With Brady talking about playing until his mid-40s — the quarterback is set to turn 41 next month, but recently joked on Instagram about playing until the age of “Cuarenta y cinco” — the 64-year-old DeBerg thinks Brady has a shot at breaking his mark.
“The main thing? Staying healthy,” DeBerg told BostonSportsJournal.com by phone on Friday. “A lot of that is just luck. Being with a good team helps, of course. I think that Tom can break the record, but there are a lot of things to factor into the equation. You start with health and luck, and you also have to think about whether your family and your wife telling you they don’t want you to play anymore. But he absolutely had the mentality to do it. He prepares well, and is mentally focused on the important stuff. I think he could easily play until he’s 45.”
"I'm a Brady fan now; I'm not going to lie. I wanted to hate this dude. He's the ultimate teammate. ... Tom is a great QB -- the best ever. I've never seen anyone with his study habits, his preparation. He's filling up a whole notebook of notes with each game." — @jharrison9292 pic.twitter.com/awpILGJYP7
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) July 19, 2018
