Saints' Payton: Lifestyle key to Brees' performance at age 39

Drew Brees and Tom Brady are changing expectations for the career lengths of NFL quarterbacks at ages 39 and 40, respectively.

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton credits the lifestyle choices of both quarterbacks for prolonging their careers.

"It's different now. I mean, it's different than it used to be," Payton said on "Going Deep with Dan Schwartzman" on NBC Sports Radio. "When you see Tom Brady and these guys, they're eating, they're lifting, they're sleeping differently. I mean, 25 years ago, Len Dawson was having cigarettes at halftime.

"It's changed a lot ... When you take that and the work ethic and the talent and put it all together, you get the Drew Brees and you get someone special," said Payton.

Brady is coming off an MVP-winning 2017 season that concluded with a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII. Brees led the league with 386 completed passes and a completion percentage of 72.0 while throwing for 4,334 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Len Dawson, meanwhile, enjoyed a 19-year career from 1957-75. The Hall of Fame quarterback made seven Pro Bowls and was twice named an All-Pro over a career split between the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Texans, and Kansas City Chiefs.

- With h/t to Pro Football Talk

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