Young Guns Vs. Old Dogs: Which Quarterbacks Gain Favor in the NFL?

The NFL has long been a copycat league. Once one team finds success; the rest follow suit. Witness the popularity of the Wildcat Offense this year. It started with the Dolphins vs. the Patriots and soon became a gimmick that all teams used. If many teams are looking to their rivals for coaching trends, we have to wonder about the Quarterbacks in this league. Who is most in demand: the young guns or the old dogs?

We have all been inundated with Brett Favre stories and stats. Let's face it: according to the media, Favre is the Miracle Man at the ripe old age of 39. But is he? Since Favre has come back to play and prove that his experience is still a valuable asset, other teams have come to rely on QBs of similar "advanced" age. Is this the NFL's newest trend?

The Arizona Cardinals have the next most famous elder statesmen at the helm. At 37, Kurt Warner is once again the number one QB taking over for the highly touted young USC gun, Matt Leinert. While Warner has said in the past he knew he had more yet to offer, he wasn't sure if a number one QB spot was in the cards. For Arizona, the switch to Warner has proved to be more than a blessing. Warner has not only led his team to the top spot in their Division, but the top spot with a considerable cushion.

We, at PossessionPoints.com, would be remiss if we overlooked two more seasoned QBs who have taken charge of most likely playoff - bound teams. First, is Kerry Collins who is 36 this season and second is Jeff Garcia of the Bucs who is 38. These two moved from backup status to starter after injuries and problems with younger QBs. Collins took over for Vince Young, supposedly the future of the Titans and has yet to lose while Garcia took over for Brian Griese, who while not exactly a young gun, was nonetheless considered the Bucs' starter. One has to wonder if Garcia would have been the Dolphins' QB had the Bucs succeeded in getting Favre instead of the Jets.