Oldest active NFL players and in league history (2024)

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Oldest active NFL players and in league history? ›

Jason Peters

Peters is currently the oldest active player in the NFL, turning 42 in January 2024.

Jason Peters

Peters is currently the oldest active player in the NFL, turning 42 in January 2024.

Jason Peters, Robbie Gould, and Andy Lee are currently playing football even though they are above the age of 40. Peters is the oldest among them at 41 years old.

Blanda retired from pro football in August 1976 as the sport's oldest player at the age of 48, a mark that still stands. One of only three players to play in four different decades (the other two being John Carney and Jeff Feagles), he holds the record for most extra points made (943) and attempted (959).

Who is the oldest player in NFL history? George Blanda is the oldest player to play in NFL history. Blanda was a quarterback and placekicker who played in the NFL for 26 seasons. He retired in 1975 at the age of 48.

The former Chicago Bears quarterback, George Blanda, is graded the oldest player and quarterback to ever play in the league, retiring at age 48 in 1976.

Danielle Hunter

Danielle Hunter, born on October 29, 1994, was only 20 years old when he was drafted into the NFL in 2015 by the Minnesota Vikings. Playing as a defensive end for the Vikings, Hunter has become a formidable force in the league due to his incredible athletic ability.

With no NFL minimum age or NFL age limit in place, players can play as long as they are physically capable of playing. Despite the range of ages allowed to play professional football, the average NFL player age skews younger.

The New York Jets opened the season with the oldest roster in the league ... although they've gotten a tad younger now that 39-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers is out for the season. How about the core of the roster?

Who is the oldest football player not retired? ›

1. Miura Kazuyoshi. "King Kazu" has played in Brazil, Japan, Italy, Croatia, Australia, and now Portugal during a career that has spanned 38 seasons as a professional. Miura shows no signs of slowing down, although he has (as of 31 March 2023) yet to make his debut for his new team Oliveirense.

In 2007, Amobi Okoye became the youngest player ever drafted into the NFL at 19 years and 10 months old. Okoye was born in Anambra State, Nigeria, and moved to Alabama at the age of 12. After just two weeks in middle school, he advanced to 9th grade and began playing football as a sophom*ore in high school.

Current NFL players over 40

As of September 2022, there are three active players in the NFL aged 40 or above. Tom Brady, quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is 45. Jason Peters turned 40 in January 2022, according to Pro Football Reference.

Click on each highlighted position for a breakdown of that position's highest paid players for the 2024 season. The Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow is the highest paid player in the NFL. The San Francisco 49ers' Nick Bosa is the highest paid defensive player in the league.

At number one, we have a player who has become a bit of a legendary figure, known for his determination to keep playing the game we love. Kazuyoshi Miura is currently 57 years of age, playing his football at Portuguese second-division side Oliveirense.

If you ignore Slater, Jones is the oldest active wide receiver in the NFL ahead of Marvin Jones Jr. of the Detroit Lions. The only other active wide receivers above the age of 31 in the NFL are Adam Thielen, Randall Cobb, Marquise Goodwin, Robert Woods, Keenan Allen and DeAndre Hopkins.

The average retirement age for NFL players is 27.6 years old, which is notably younger compared to other professional sports leagues. This early retirement age is often due to the physically demanding nature of football.