Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden had a good senior season and a strong Senior Bowl, and he says NFL teams have told him they’re impressed with everything about him, except the one number that sticks out: 28.
That’s Weeden’s age, and he says plenty of NFL teams are telling him they’re concerned about how much future a rookie that old can have.
“A lot is getting put into my age and rightfully so,” Weeden said at the Scouting Combine. “That’s really the only red flag I really have. And fortunately for me, that’s really the only I have to worry about. And fortunately, it’s a small issue. I’m not worried about it. I don’t’ think a lot of teams are worried about it. It’s a tough question to answer. I feel like with all these great quarterbacks, I belong in the middle with all of them. So if I was a few years younger, you never know, maybe I go a little bit higher. But I don’t think at the end of the day when it comes to draft time, it’s going to be that big of an issue.”
Weeden, who spent five years as a minor league baseball player, is being mentioned in Kansas City as a player who could interest the Chiefs. He’s hoping to sell teams on the idea that plenty of NFL quarterbacks have found success only after becoming NFL starters in their late 20s or early 30s.
“Roger Staubach, you’ve got Kurt Warner, I can go on,” Weeden said. “You’ve got Rich Gannon. Think of it, there’s a lot of guys. You look back at my time at Oklahoma State, I didn’t get hit. My body’s extremely fresh. No injuries. I’m healthy. Everything’s good. I think I’ve got a lot left in my tank. Those guys played into their late 30s. A ten-year career in the NFL is a great career, and I think I’ve got every bit of that. And barring any injury, I think I can play for a long time.”