All the Talk of Tom Brady's Success After 40 is Absurd Given Drew Brees' Accomplishments at 41

When talking about the greatest quarterback to ever play in recent memory, many will point to New England Patriots signal caller Tom Brady, and deservedly so.

But don't forget about Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints.

Brees turned 41 on Wednesday, leading Brady in many categories over the course of his career. But, perhaps more importantly, he's playing at a much higher level now at 41 than Brady is at 42. Why isn't that aging curve discussed as much as TB12's is? Is it because Brees still allows himself to submit to earthly desires, like the occasional strawberry?

Before we hear it from Patriots fans, yes, Brady has more Super Bowl championships, Super Bowl MVPs, and NFL MVPs. We're not denying his success. It's impressive he's still around in the league.

And yes, we know the vast amounts of playoff heartbreaks that Brees and the Saints have suffered over the years. But individually, Brees is on a whole 'nother level, at this advanced age.

After crossing the threshold beyond 40, Brees only lost a tenth of a percentage point in completion percentage, "slipping" from 74.4 to 74.3. He threw for 27 touchdowns in an offense designed perfectly for his capabilities. Deep balls be damned, Brees hit his targets at 40 with ruthless efficiency.

Brady's completion percentage, on the other hand, dipped from 66.3 to 65.8 between his age-40 and age-41 seasons, and his interceptions rose from eight to 11. This year, his completion percentage fell all the way to 60.8. Even in this current version of the NFL, nominally a passing league, Brady's schemers can't figure out any sort of system to maximize his efficiency in the same way Brees' staff has, complete with a depleted set of weapons. If we lionize Brady for putting up consistently worsening numbers with age, then where's the praise for Brees, who's devised a system to keep his ruthless consistency stable?

Tom Brady and Drew Brees will go down as the greatest quarterbacks of this generation. While Brady has more trophies in his case, Brees played at a consistently high level throughout his 19-year career, and deserves more merit for what he's done at the same age Brady gets praised for defeating father time by reaching.