Who will be 'last old man standing?' NFL's five oldest QBs share playoff stage for first time

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Rivers: You would think 11 victories and an additional playoff spot added would have easily earned the Colts a place in the playoffs. Nope. They had to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 17 and get help from other teams to clinch just their second playoff spot since 2014. To add to the absurdness of the 2020 season, the Colts would have won the AFC South had the Houston Texans beaten the Tennessee Titans in Week 17. — Wells

Rodgers: He went from scuffling along in coach Matt LaFleur’s new offense in 2019 to owning it in 2020. Rodgers not only fully embraced the new system, he mastered it in Year 2. The likely NFL MVP led the league in touchdown passes (48) while throwing just five interceptions — all without the addition of any significant players at the receiver spot. — Demovsky

Roethlisberger: The Steelers have been most successful when Roethlisberger runs the no-huddle offense. But in a late-season three-game skid, the offense got away from that and Roethlisberger often looked like the worst version of himself with off-target throws and tentativeness in the pocket as he anticipated contact. In the second half of the Week 16 Colts win, Roethlisberger looked like the quarterback who helped his team to an 11-0 start. He stretched the field with passes of 39 and 34 yards and threw for more than 200 yards in the second half. — Pryor

How he’s different at this age

Brady: Brady is defying his age in a system that asks him to take more deep shots than he ever has in his career. His 34 completions of 20-plus air yards were more than any other QB in the league this year and were a career high for him. His completion percentage on those throws was nearly identical to Mahomes’. — Laine

Brees: Brees’ arm strength and lack of downfield throws have been heavily scrutinized in recent years, and he no longer throws for 5,000 yards every season. But he has made up for any shortcomings in those areas by becoming even more efficient. Brees has posted the best passer rating, completion percentage and interception numbers of his career over the past four seasons. — Triplett

Rivers: Rivers doesn’t have the same arm strength as he did when he was younger, but he played some of the smartest football of his career this season. He went into Week 16 looking like he might finish with single-digit interceptions in a season for just the third time in his career. Rivers ended the regular season with 11 interceptions, down from 20 in 2019. He also had the third-highest completion percentage (68%) of his career. One thing that hasn’t changed is Rivers’ availability. He has started 240 straight games. — Wells

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Domonique Foxworth and Ryan Clark outline why they see Aaron Rodgers as the quarterback facing the most pressure this postseason.

Rodgers: To say Rodgers is more intelligent now would be like suggesting Einstein got smarter after developing the theory of relatively. But Rodgers has become more willing to accept the check-downs instead of holding the ball and waiting for something to develop down the field. That has put him more in rhythm with the offense. — Demovsky

Roethlisberger: The 2020 Roethlisberger hasn’t been the gunslinger he was known to be earlier in his career. Instead, Roethlisberger spent most of the season throwing short slants and underneath passes, putting the burden on his offensive weapons to make the plays. But when he runs the no-huddle offense, Roethlisberger is quick to remind folks that his reconstructed elbow is perfectly capable of rifling the ball downfield with deep throws to players such as Chase Claypool and James Washington. Roethlisberger has never been a particularly mobile quarterback, but he has been even more stationary this season with his arthritic knees. — Pryor

What a Super Bowl would mean

Brady: The Bucs are a long shot, especially if it means getting past the Saints, who swept the Bucs in the regular season with a 38-3 pummeling in Week 10. It will also depend on their defense, which has been inconsistent and prone to giving up explosive pass plays. Still, you can never count Brady out because of his track record. — Laine

Brees: This could be Brees’ last chance to get back to the Super Bowl and cement his legacy as one of the all-time greats. Once again, the Saints are among the NFL’s top contenders after three straight years of devastating playoff exits. They are as deep and well-rounded as any team in the playoffs, with a top-four defense and a top-six rushing offense. — Triplett

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Rivers: The road to reaching the Super Bowl in the AFC will go through Buffalo and then Kansas City, the top two teams in the conference. That’s going to be tough to accomplish for Rivers and the Colts. Rivers is in the top five in NFL history in touchdowns and passing yards, but he has yet to play in a Super Bowl. His teams have reached the conference championship game only twice in his career. — Wells

Rodgers: Brett Favre never won a second Super Bowl, but at least he got to a second. His appearances came in back-to-back seasons. Rodgers might tie Favre for MVPs, but surpassing him in Super Bowl titles could move him past Favre in the eyes of those who rank Packers quarterbacks, if he hasn’t already. — Demovsky

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Adam Schefter doesn’t see this postseason being the last we see of Ben Roethlisberger, but does understand the pressure Big Ben faces and that his opportunities are becoming limited.

Roethlisberger: The Steelers have a 10% chance to make it to Tampa Bay, according to ESPN’s FPI. While it’s a longshot, it’s not out of the question — and this team will go as far as Roethlisberger takes it. He has three Super Bowl appearances and two wins, but he hasn’t been back in 10 years. Going out with one in the twilight of a storied career would further cement his Hall of Fame résumé. He would become just the fifth QB to win three Super Bowl titles, joining Brady, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana and Troy Aikman. — Pryor

What’s next

Brady: He is under contract with the Bucs for one more season and has given no indication that he wants to retire now, especially with the way he has played the past four weeks. This Brady-led offense can be scary with a full offseason to truly collaborate with coach Bruce Arians and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and develop better chemistry with receivers, and if Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown return. — Laine

Brees: Brees has not announced whether he will retire after 20 seasons, although there has been heavy speculation inside and outside the building that he will. Either way, the Saints will have a hard time keeping the entire core of this team together after this season because of severe salary-cap constraints. So this playoff run definitely has a “Last Dance” feel to it. — Triplett

Rivers: Free agency or coaching high school football in Alabama. Rivers hasn’t decided whether he wants to play an 18th season. If he chooses to play, his performance in the playoffs likely will play a significant factor in whether the Colts want to re-sign him for the 2021 season. Rivers, who will be 40 in November, will become the head coach at St. Michael Catholic High School once he retires. — Wells