“You Put a 19-Year-Old in the NFL and He May Not Live to See 35”: Fans on Age Comparison of NBA, NFL Players Like Brock Purdy & Luka Doncic

NBA and NFL players are often compared for their athletic prowess and career accolades. This time, however, a post shared by MLFootball took a different approach, highlighting the age difference of some players in each league. And fans were stunned to learn that players, like Luka Doncic and Brock Purdy, are the same age.

The surprise comes from the fact that many NBA players are already deep into their careers—some in their fifth season or beyond—while their NFL counterparts are just getting started. That’s right, some NBA players aged 25 or younger are already stars in their league. Let’s look at the first comparison between Purdy and Doncic.

The 49ers quarterback is 25 and has been in the NFL for three seasons, piloting the team to a Super Bowl appearance last year. Meanwhile, Luka was also 25 heading into the 2024 NBA season and had now spent seven seasons in the league. That’s a four-season difference. As a result, the Slovenian has already secured his rookie contract extension, something Brock is still chasing.

If the Luka comparison doesn’t drive the point home, let’s look at another. Ladd McConkey had an excellent rookie season for the Chargers as a 23-year-old. He led the team in receptions and receiving yards and had a breakout game in the playoffs. Star guard for the Hornets, LaMelo Ball, is also 23. Yet, he’s been in the NBA for five seasons now. Ball also signed his rookie extension for $260 million in July 2023.

The comparisons become even more eye-opening as the list goes on. Jayden Daniels and Zion Williamson are both 24, but one is considered the future of the NFL after just one season, while the other already carries an injury-prone label after five years in the pros.

Kenny Pickett (26), meanwhile, has only played three seasons in the NFL, yet Shai Gilgeous-Alexander—who is younger than Pickett—has been in the NBA for seven years. Additionally, Shedeur Sanders, an undrafted QB prospect, is the same age (23) as Jalen Green, a fourth-year guard for the Rockets.

MLFootball also poked some fun at Bo Nix’s age. They compared him to other players in the NFL, like Ja’Marr Chase and Trevor Lawrence. Nix was known as an older QB prospect out of college in last year’s draft — he’s already 25. He’s older than Chase, who’s played four seasons, and the same age as Lawrence, who’s played four.

As expected, the fan reaction to the post was quite a sight to behold. Some argued that if the NFL allowed high school students to be drafted straight away, they wouldn’t make it to 35, given how physically demanding the game is. Others simply felt old seeing how young NBA players enter the league.

One fan, meanwhile, simply felt bad for Bo Nix, who was drafted by the Broncos last year.

The NFL requires players to complete two years of college before becoming draft-eligible. The NBA, however, allows players to be drafted after just one year of college or another professional league. So, while the comparisons may seem shocking at first, they make more sense upon closer look. Regardless, the fact that Luka Doncic and Brock Purdy are almost the same age is just wild.