ith the 2024 NFL season about to get underway on Thursday night. all eyes are once again on the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s hard to believe, but Patrick Mahomes will be entering his 8th season in the league. He’s no longer a spring chicken, but he continues to be in his prime; evidenced by winning three of the last five Super Bowls, including the past two.

At 28 years old with three titles under his belt, fans are already wondering if he will end up catching or even surpass Tom Brady. Brady accumulated seven championships, but he did so by playing until 45 years old. Only George Blanda and John Nesser played until a more advanced age. It seems far-fetched for Mahomes to make it that far, but Troy Aikman believes it can be done.

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Travis Kelce spots telepathic gesture that made Patrick Mahomes’ behind-the-back pass work

Troy Aikman says NFL quarterbacks will play until Tom Brady age soon

The Hall of Fame quarterback who won three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys believes quarterbacks playing into their 40s will be the standard going forward.

I played 12 years. I would’ve played much longer. I think that the norm going forward is going to be, we’re going to see quarterbacks playing up until they’re 40 years old and beyond. I think if anyone retires before they’re 40, it’s gonna be a little bit surprising… The quarterbacks just aren’t taking the punishment that we took back when we played.

via This Is Football, Kevin Clark

Aikman, tongue-in-cheek, said that the worst hits he took in his playing days would get players “banned from the NFL” nowadays. That might be a stretch, but it’s a completely different set of rules that players have to abide by in 2024 than in the 1980s and 90s.

The Cowboys legend played through the 2000 season, retiring when he was 34 years old. He has said he had to hang up the cleats due to persistent back pain, but he also suffered several concussions during his final season that likely played a part.