Every draft season, there’s always something the media latches onto. One year it’s hand size, another year it’s arm strength, and now? Age. It’s like if you’re over 23, you might as well be applying for a coaching job instead of a roster spot. At this point, these conversations are surely getting louder and the QBs are not shying away from pointing that out. But is it really that big of a deal? Well, that depends on who you ask.

Recently, the Louisville Cardinals’ quarterback, Tyler Shough, stated “Media make(s) an issue of me being 25 years old, NFL teams don’t.” You see, the 25-year-old QB has declared for the NFL draft after a 7-year-long collegiate career. But, let’s be real—it’s not the first time that a 24 or 25-year-old QB is entering the NFL draft, right? I mean, just the last year, we had Bo Nix. That’s where the National Senior Writer Peter Schrager comes in.

Right after Shough’s statement hit social media, Shrager re-shared that news and stated, “Not an issue. Bo Nix success, NIL, transfer portal… all make it a very different conversation than it was in the last few decades.” Translation? Well, Schrager believes that being 24 or 25 years old might have been seen as a disadvantage considering the teams preferred young QBs.

Peter Schrager

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Not an issue. Bo Nix success, NIL, transfer portal... all make it a very different conversation than it was in the last few decades. Dillon Gabriel started 63 college games, by the way. 63! Viewed as a positive.

ProFootballTalk

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Louisville QB Tyler Shough: Media make an issue of me being 25 years old, NFL teams don't. nbcsports.com/nfl/profootbal…

2:24 PM · Mar 3, 2025

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Fast forward to now and we’ve a completely changed scenario. For starters, the players are making a pretty chunk of money in college football. They can transfer schools to extend their career without having to wait a whole season. That means it’s not an unusual thing for a QB to enter the draft later. Bo Nix already proved that age isn’t a deal-breaker and Tyler Shough will surely want to walk on the same path. After all, Nix just had a standout rookie season.

Speaking of which, Shough will enter pro football after playing his first season as a starting QB for the Cardinals. As a starter, he responded by completing 62.7% of his passes and throwing for 3,195 yards and 23 touchdowns with six interceptions. Then came the NFL Scouting Combine where he ran the 40-yard dash in mere 4.64 seconds.

Now, according to reports, Tyler Shough is expected to be a second- or third-round pick in April’s NFL draft. Besides, USA Today slots him as a No.3 QB prospect.

Bo Nix’s performance is still being analyzed

When you talk about last season’s top rookies, there’s no way you’re leaving Bo Nix off that list—dude made sure of that. His rookie season’s track record? Well, the guy tallied 3,775 yards, racked up 29 touchdowns, and even rushed for 430 yards. And that’s not all. The 25-year-old QB secured the first playoff appearance for the Broncos since 2015.

But here’s the kicker. Initially, Nix seemed a misfit for Sean Payton’s Broncos. Recently, Peter Schrager asked “Did you know then (a year ago) that Bo Nix was the guy?” Payton’s response? Well, the head coach first confessed that they didn’t know that Nix was going to be their QB1. “We didn’t at that time… I would say that decision probably was finalized or we felt real strong,” Payton said.

“It wasn’t just the—he had a pro day on Friday, and then, Saturday, we had a private workout. I think that Saturday after his private workout, we felt like that was our target.” Hold that thought! After that, Payton revealed that Bo Nix had a disappointing performance at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. “He really didn’t throw well,” the head coach said.

But at the end of the day, Nix turned out to be the best draft pick for the Broncos. After all, the guy led his team to its first playoff appearance after a decade.