New England Patriots QB Tom Brady celebrates 42nd birthday

Many of us would get winded -- or have gotten winded -- from blowing out 42 candles on a birthday cake. Tom Brady might do so Saturday before or after an exhausting practice with his New England Patriots.

Another birthday has arrived for the quarterback to whom age seems meaningless. At 39, he authored the best season ever for QBs of that age. At 40 and 41, he did the same.

This year, the bar is ankles-low for another repeat. Only three players, all of whom did not turn 42 until the midst of their seasons, started at the position. Warren Moon logged 10 games, winning four, while Vinny Testaverde opened four and Doug Flutie one.

Brady's sustained excellence is matched only by his durability. Only in 2008, owing to a torn ACL, has he missed games with an ailment despite appearing on a final injury report 187 times, by ESPN's reckoning. A fitness fanatic, from exercise to diet, he figures to easily outperform the members of the 42 Club.

New England is confident enough that Brady will keep playing -- and playing well -- that it has refrained from acquiring a big-name backup. Enjoy the view from the sideline, Brian Hoyer, Jarrett Stidham and/or Danny Etling.

How to put Brady's career in perspective? Well, he is both the second youngest and the oldest QB to win a Super Bowl. The Patriots list 54 league records in his name. There has been nary a losing record in the 17 seasons during which he started most games.

The next one that matters is Sept. 8 against Pittsburgh, which matches New England with the most Super Bowl championships, at six. Brady was behind center for each Patriots win, as well as for three defeats.

Let the debate rage for who is the most talented QB ever. As for the most accomplished, it's an open-and-shut case.

That Brady's contract expires after this season is insignificant. Though he is coy about personal goals, a logical one is Brett Favre's record of 298 regular season starts. If Brady continues to dodge serious injury and does not sit out in meaningless late-season outings, he can surpass Favre on the final date of the 2020 regular season.

The birthday boy with the 42 candles is like a candle in the wind, unable to be extinguished.