Professional sports are typically for the young. But lately, we’ve started seeing the trend sway with players staying at the top of their game much later into their careers. It’s happening across all sports, but with the NFL being the most popular North American professional sport and because of its sheer physicality, an older player generates a ton of headlines.
We all know the story of Tom Brady. The superstar quarterback, who just announced his retirement (for real this time), was 45 years old this season and won a Super Bowl just two years ago.
With the big game coming up soon, who are some of the oldest players and coaches to have played and won a Super Bowl?
Who is the oldest quarterback to play in the super bowl?
You probably know by now that Tom Brady is the oldest quarterback to have played in the Super Bowl. Brady was 43 years and 188 days old in Super Bowl 55 when his Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9. He was also named the Super Bowl MVP that year.
Brady has, of course, played in three Super Bowls past the age of 40 – he’s the only quarterback to have played in the marquee game past the age of 39.
We’re only counting QBs who actually played in the big game. So we’re not counting George Blanda, who was 40.33 years old when his Raiders lost to the Packers in Super Bowl 2 and saw action only as a placekicker. Nor am I counting Earl Morrall, who was 39.66 years old as the backup in SB 8 for the winning Dolphins.
Here are the top five oldest quarterbacks to play in the Super Bowl:
| Player | Age | Super Bowl |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Brady (Tampa Bay) | 43.52 | SB 55 |
| Peyton Manning (Denver) | 39.88 | SB 50 |
| John Elway (Denver) | 38.60 | SB 33 |
| Johnny Unitas (Baltimore) | 37.70 | SB 5 |
| Kurt Warner (Arizona) | 37.61 | SB 43 |
Oldest Super Bowl Winners
Looking past the quarterback position, who are the oldest Super Bowl winners? Again, Tom Brady is the oldest player at 43 years to win a Super Bowl. But this time he’s got some company in the over-40 crowd.
Jeff Feagles was the second-oldest player to win a Super Bowl. The Giants punter was nearly 42 years old when they won Super Bowl 42 in 2008. Mike Horan, the third-oldest Super Bowl winner, was days away from turning 41 when his St. Louis Rams won Super Bowl 34.
Just like the quarterback section above, I’m only counting players who actually played.
Here are the five oldest Super Bowl winners:
| Player | Age | Super Bowl |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Brady (Tampa Bay) | 43.52 | SB 55 |
| Jeff Feagles (NY Giants) | 41.91 | SB 42 |
| Mike Horan (St. Louis) | 40.99 | SB 34 |
| Andrew Whitworth (LA Rams) | 40.17 | SB 56 |
| Peyton Manning (Denver) | 39.88 | SB 50 |
Oldest Coach to win Super Bowl
What about the coaches on the sidelines? While we’ve seen coaches get younger and younger – LA Rams head coach Sean McVay isn’t even 40 yet – we typically picture NFL head coaches as much older men.
So, who was the oldest Super Bowl-winning head coach?
That was Bruce Arians, who was 68 years and 127 days old when he won Super Bowl 55 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Arians got his start coaching back in 1975, beginning a journey that spanned nearly 46 years. That’s some stick-to-it-iveness.
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Oldest Players To Play In Super Bowl
Who are the oldest quarterbacks to play in the Super Bowl?
Tom Brady has so far been the oldest QB to play in a Super Bowl. He was 43 years old in Super Bowl 55. Peyton Manning was the second-oldest QB at nearly 40 years old (39.88) in Super Bowl 50.
Who are the oldest Super Bowl winners?
Again, Tom Brady has been the oldest player to win a Super Bowl. The second-oldest player was New York Giants punter Jeff Feagles, who was nearly 42 when the Giants won Super Bowl 42.
Who was the oldest coach to win the Super Bowl?
Bruce Arians holds the distinction of being the oldest coach to win the Super Bowl. He was 68 years and 127 days old when the Buccaneers won Super Bowl 55 in 2021.
