Tom Brady and Zach Wilson set to make NFL history during Sunday encounter
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and quarterback Tom Brady will make the trip to MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon to face a familiar divisional foe.
Interestingly, when the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers square off on Sunday afternoon, history will be made between the two quarterbacks.
Tom Brady and Zach Wilson are 22 years apart in age, which will be the biggest age gap between starting quarterbacks ever in the National Football League.
Zach Wilson and Tom Brady will set NFL record for biggest age gap between starting QBs
The longest age gap between starting QBs, a record to be set this weekend https://t.co/jYtmwzV351
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady was born on August 3, 1977, in San Mateo, California. Ironically, New York Jets rookie quarterback Zach Wilson shares a birthday with Brady but was born on August 3, 1999, in Utah, making the two quarterbacks 22 years apart, to the day. This is the first time since 1950 where there have been starting quarterbacks in the same game with a significant age gap, according to records.
"The cool thing was, I think he was born in 1977. I was born in 1999 -- so 22 years later, which is crazy, right? We're playing the same game."-Zach Wilson
To put that into perspective, Wilson was born around the time that Brady was preparing for his senior season at the University of Michigan. In fact, Brady earned his bachelor's degree from Michigan just four months after Wilson was born.
Tom Brady is EXACTLY 22 years older than Zach Wilson.
They face off on Sunday.
WILD. https://t.co/PyNTXQlXDf
Although Zach Wilson is just in his rookie season, he and Tom Brady already have different starts to their careers in the National Football League. Brady was drafted out of Michigan in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft and had to wait for his turn to become a starter with the New England Patriots.
Zach Wilson, on the other hand, was drafted second overall in the 2021 NFL Draft out of BYU, by the New York Jets. The Jets drafted Wilson with the second overall draft pick with the intention of him starting right out of the gates.
While Brady's NFL career has been almost as long as Wilson has been alive, on Sunday afternoon, they will both be playing the same game with the same intentions of winning the football game.
For Brady and the Buccaneers, a win could possibly help their NFC seeding. Wilson and the Jets hope to end the season on a high note and, hopefully, improve on their 4-11 record.
This is not the first time this season that Tom Brady has faced a much younger quarterback. Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields was born five months before Wilson on March 5, 1999, making his and Brady's age gap just shy of 22 years.