• Originally published September 12, 2009 at 7:57 p.m., updated September 12, 2009 at 9:01 p.m.

EDITORS: Chart at bottom of story. () —

By Randy Covitz

McClatchy Newspapers

(MCT)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Warren Moon has walked in Brett Favre's cleats.

Moon was nearly 38 years old in 1994 when he joined the Minnesota Vikings, a team that had made the playoffs the previous two seasons and hoped Moon would be the quarterback who could get them to the Super Bowl.

Sound familiar? This year, the Vikings, who won the NFC North last year but were bounced from the playoffs in the first round, lured Favre out of retirement with the hope he can become the first 40-year-old quarterback to take a team to the Super Bowl.

"When I came to the Vikings, I felt I still had some gas left in the tank," Moon said. "Brett, if he's healthy, still has a lot of gas in the tank as well. If you look at how he played last year with the Jets up until the time he got his shoulder hurt, he was playing as good as any quarterback in the league and had that team in a great position to go into the playoffs.

"He probably played more down the stretch than he should have because he was hurt ... and every time you're older, whenever you get hurt, they say you're done. But this guy can still play the game. He plays the game the way I wish I could have played at some time, because he plays with such vigor and like a little kid out there."

Moon, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006, led the Vikings to a 10-6 record and division title in 1994 and 9-7 in 1996. Still, the best Minnesota could do was a pair of first-round playoff losses.

The oldest quarterback to start a Super Bowl was John Elway, who won consecutive championships at age 37 and 38. Three others, including Kurt Warner last year for Arizona, started Super Bowls at 37.

Troy Aikman, who won three Super Bowls for Dallas by age 29, retired at 34 because of a history of concussions and back problems.

"By Favre's standards, I was basically a rookie when I retired," said Aikman, now an analyst for Fox. "What I noticed as I got older, I wasn't able to move as well in the pocket. The legs are the first thing that goes. A few years ago, there was some question about Brett's arm strength. I can assure you, when Brett's 50, he'll have enough arm strength to play in the NFL. The legs are the first to go."

Favre, who was 27 and 28 when he took the Green Bay Packers to consecutive Super Bowls, might have found the ideal situation to become the first quadragenarian quarterback to reach a title game. The Vikings have the best running back in the game in Adrian Peterson, dynamic receivers in Bernard Berrian and rookie Percy Harvin, a dominant defense and 10 games in domed stadiums.

"For Brett, this is a dream offense, a dream situation," said NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth. "If Brett can become the point guard and be satisfied with that role ... there's nobody in football any better in not taking sacks and getting the ball out and reading the blitz and getting to the hot read ...

"There are no limits to what the Vikings can do this season."

Oldest Super Bowl quarterbacks

John Elway, who led the Denver Broncos to consecutive championships, is the oldest quarterback to start a Super Bowl when he was 38 in 1999. Here are the oldest quarterbacks to start Super Bowls.

Quarterback . . . Age . . . Outcome

John Elway, Den . . . .38......XXXIII: Def. Atl 34-19

John Elway, Den........37......XXXII: Def GB 31-24

John Unitas, Balt.......37.......V: Def Dallas 16-13

Rich Gannon, Oak......37......XXXVII:Lost TB 48-21

Kurt Warner, Ariz.......37.......XLIII: Lost Pitts 27-23

Fran Tarkenton, Minn....36........XI: Lost Oak 32-14

Roger Staubach, Dal.....36..........XIII: Lost Pitts 35-31

Jim Plunkett, LAR....... 36..........XVIII: Def Wash 38-9

___

(c) 2009, The Kansas City Star.

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Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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