NFL Draft 2012: Will Brandon Weeden’s Age Scare Teams Away?

Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden has been talked about an incredible amount this past week. Weeden has been lights out at the Senior Bowl and has set himself apart from the other signal-callers in the game. His performance has even had some saying that he should warrant first-round consideration.

The biggest problem Weeden has to overcome? His age. Weeden will turn 29-years-old next season.

Turning 30 in only his second NFL season, Weeden lacks the high ceiling that you would like your potential franchise quarterback to have. At 29, Weeden will be the same age as Aaron Rodgers. The big difference? Rodgers will be entering his 8th year in the league, while Weeden will be in his first. That is an obvious problem that will scare away some teams.

It takes a quarterback a few years to fully learn a NFL offense. By the time Weeden is comfortable, he will already be in his early thirties. That leaves him only a couple of years left to compete, compared to traditional standards. Compare Weeden’s age to the other top quarterbacks — Andrew Luck (22), Robert Griffin III (21), Kirk Cousins (23) and Ryan Tannehill (23).

Teams will prefer to lean towards the younger option that will give them more years at a high level.

It is not saying that Weeden is not capable of succeeding, I think he will. It is just more likely that Weeden will fall to a team who is built more to “win now” than a team building for the future. Teams just aren’t likely to invest their future in a rookie quarterback that will already be 29-years-old in his rookie season. Should his age be a factor? Sound off.

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