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- Tom Brady’s age is but a number.
- As he gears up for his 17th Divisional Round playoff game, he will be older than most of the remaining head coaches on opposing sidelines.
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When Tom Brady takes the field on Sunday afternoon, it will mark his 47th playoff game in 22 years. Although it will be only his second NFC Divisional Round game, it will be his 17th Divisional Round appearance.
That number by itself is pretty astonishing. Brady has reached the Divisional Round in more than three quarters of his career.
Brady’s ability to defy time is remarkable.
Just when you think he might be plateauing or declining, he turns around and wins the Super Bowl in the first year with his new team. And then, in the very next year, he beat the brakes off of the Eagles in the Wild Card and enters as three-point favorites against the Rams in a home Divisional Round game on Sunday.
It gets even crazier when you look at the remaining competition. Brady is older than each of the remaining opposing NFC coaches who are still in the playoffs and four of seven remaining coaches across both conferences.
Tom Brady turned 44 years old on August 3rd.
He will square off against Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay on Sunday, who turns 36 on January 24th.
Should the Buccaneers win, Brady will face either the Packers or the 49ers. Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur turned 42 on November 3rd, and San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan, who turned 42 on December 14th.
If Tampa Bay reaches the Super Bowl, it could be against the Bengals, Titans, Chiefs or Bills.
Tennessee head coach Mike Vrabel is two years older than Brady but played with him for a few years in New England. Kansas City head coach Andy Reid is the second oldest of the remaining coaches at 63 years old behind only Brady’s head coach Bruce Arians, who is 69. Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott is three years older than Brady.
However, should Cincinnati continue its miraculous run in Joe Burrow’s second year and meet Brady in the Super Bowl, head coach Zac Taylor would be six years younger than his opposing quarterback. Taylor is 38 to Brady’s 44.
It just goes to show that Brady is winning the battle against time. That, and the Washington Football Team should have hired LaFleur, Shanahan, or McVay instead of Jay Gruden, but that’s beside the point.