I have posted some age/performance numbers for backs and receivers in recent days, showing that such players tend to put up the best numbers of their career when they’re in the window of 23 to 27 years old. Not always, but that’s the most popular area. Now let’s compare that the quarterback position.

With quarterbacks, smarts and experience start to play a more crucial role, so there are more great seasons later in careers. The three best quarterback seasons, in fact, have all been authored by quarterbacks older than 30 – Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Tom Brady.

On the chart below, I’m not listing all quarterbacks seasons. I’m taking just the No. 1 best season for each quarterback. And I’m listing the top 60 from the last 20 years (actually 21 years, I’m using the 1995 through 2015 seasons).

There are some flaws/pollutants in the study. Most notably, some of the players haven’t had a chance to finish their careers yet. Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, Jameis Winston, Blake Bortles and Matthew Stafford, for example, are all under 30, so we haven’t had a chance yet to see if they’ll have their best season when they’re a 32-year-old. I’ve got such guys tagged with a black dot.

But I do have a 20-year time period and 60 different quarterbacks, so some trends should emerge.

Of the 60 quarterbacks, 22 are 30-plus years old and 38 are under 30. Of the 38 under 30, 13 are still active starters and under 30 years old, so some of those guys might have career-best seasons later – Luck, Dalton, Bortles, Carr, Winston, Stafford, for example.

The most popular age was 30, with nine guys. Next were 27-year-olds, with 8, and 24-year-olds, with 7.

There’s decent traffic beween 24 and 30 (4-6 quarterbacks in all of those seasons) so I’ll call that the prime window. This is a little lower than I expected. Only 12 quarterbacks put up the best numbers of their career as 31-plus year olds.

BEST SEASON, QBs
AgeNo
211
221
231
247
256
265
278
284
295
309
311
324
331
342
352
362
371

These are the 60 quarterbacks I used …

CAREER-BEST SEASONS BY QUARTERBACKS (1995-2015)
YearPlayerAvgPassTDPRunTDRPoints
2013Peyton Manning, Den.375,47755-311497
2011Drew Brees, N.O.325,47646861476
2007Tom Brady, N.E.304,80650982462
2011Aaron Rodgers, G.B.274,643452573456
2015• Cam Newton, Car.263,8373563610455
2004Daunte Culpepper, Minn.274,717394062450
2014• Andrew Luck, Ind.244,761402733443
1998Steve Young, S.F.364,170364546442
2011• Matthew Stafford, Det.235,03841780428
1995Brett Favre, G.B.254,413381813409
2015• Blake Bortles, Jac.274,428353102406
2000Jeff Garcia, S.F.304,278314144405
1999Kurt Warner, St.L.284,35341921399
2015• Russell Wilson, Sea.264,024345531399
1999Steve Beuerlein, Car.344,436361242390
2014Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt.324,95232270384
2012Matt Ryan, Atl.304,719321411384
2015Carson Palmer, Ariz.354,67135241382
1995Scott Mitchell, Det.274,338321044381
1996Vinny Testaverde, Balt.324,177331882380
2007Tony Romo, Dall.274,211361292379
2013• Andy Dalton, Cin.254,293331832377
2002Rich Gannon, Oak.364,689261563376
2011Eli Manning, NYG304,93329151370
2012• Robert Griffin III, Wash.223,200208157364
2015• Kirk Cousins, Wash.274,16629485363
2010Philip Rivers, S.D.284,71030520363
2008Jay Cutler, Den.254,526252002362
2009Matt Schaub, Hou.284,77029570362
1996Mark Brunell, Jac.254,367193963362
2010Michael Vick, Phil.303,018216769359
2015Ryan Fitzpatrick, NYJ323,905312702358
2004Donovan McNabb, Phil.273,875312203358
1997Kordell Stewart, Pitt.243,0202147611351
2015• Jameis Winston, T.B.214,042222106349
2004Trent Green, K.C.344,59127850348
1995Jeff Blake, Cin.243,822283092348
2014• Ryan Tannehill, Mia.264,045273111347
2015• Derek Carr, Oak.243,987321380343
2001Aaron Brooks, N.O.253,832263581339
2004Jake Plummer, Den.294,089272021339
2000Elvis Grbac, K.C.304,169281101337
2002Drew Bledsoe, Buff.304,35924672333
2007Derek Anderson, Clev.243,78729703332
1995John Elway, Den.353,970261761330
2001Steve McNair, Tenn.283,350214145329
2004Jake Delhomme, Car.293,88629711327
2012Josh Freeman, T.B.244,065271390327
2014Joe Flacco, Balt.293,98627702326
2011Mark Sanchez, NYJ243,474261036324
2006Jon Kitna, Det.334,208211562322
2003Matt Hasselbeck, Sea.273,841261252321
2013• Colin Kaepernick, S.F.253,197215244320
1997Jeff George, Oak.293,91729440320
2015Alex Smith, K.C.313,486204982320
1995Erik Kramer, Chic.303,83829391318
2006Marc Bulger, St.L.294,30124440317
2015• Tyrod Taylor, Buff.263,035205684315
2008Matt Cassel, N.E.263,693212702312
1999Brad Johnson, Wash.304,00524312311