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Tom Brady's longevity is legendary. He has transformed how NFL quarterbacks evaluate themselves.
Before Brady showed playing well into your 40's was possible, quarterbacks retired in their late 30's. Now, quarterbacks are trying to mimic Brady's ability to extend their career into their 40's.
But nobody in the NFL has aged as well as Brady. At 44 years old, he is the elder statesman of NFL players.
On top of that, Brady is older than the three opposing head coaches that remain in the NFC playoffs.
The only head coach older than him left in the NFC playoffs is his head coach, Bruce Arians.
Tom Brady is older than Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, and Matt LaFleur
Brady being older than the remaining head coaches in the NFC playoffs speaks to his longevity. It also speaks to how the NFL's philosophy has changed in the coaching ranks.
As recently as ten years ago, teams were reluctant to sign inexperienced coaching candidates. Offensive and defensive coordinators had to pay their dues to receive interviews.
But the Los Angeles Rams' hiring of Sean McVay in 2017 at 30 years old began a revolution. McVay was heralded for being an innovative play-caller and was coined an offensive genius.
McVay's hiring has caused teams to desire young play-callers who could lead their offense for years to come. Hence, Kyle Shahan and Matt LeFleur were given head coaching jobs in their mid-to-late 30's.
At the beginning of the season, the NFL had 13 head coaches younger than Tom Brady. That number is likely to increase after this offseason's coaching hires.
Brady is playing for the third-oldest head coach in the NFL in Arians, who's 68 years old. While Arians isn't a youthful head coach, Brady has 42-year-old Byron Leftwich as his offensive coordinator.
Leftwich is a hot prospect in the head coaching cycle this offseason. Brady has benefited from being coached by a former player he's competed against multiple times.
What makes Brady's longevity even more impressive is that he's shown no signs of slowing down. In his 22nd season in the league, the seven-time Super Bowl champion set a career-high in passing yards.
His 43 passing touchdowns are the second-most in his career as well.
Time will tell if Tom Brady's experience plays in his favor Sunday when he faces McVay's Rams.
Also check out: Chicago Bears Playoff History, Appearances, Wins and more
