Brady and more NFL players who have defied Father Time originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Being an athlete takes a heavy toll on the body, and that is especially true in the NFL.
Playing football is not something that the average player will do for a very long time. The physical, and mental, strain that the game takes on the human body is heavily strenuous. But there are some players who continue to defy Father Time and extend their careers in the league.
Here are some of the oldest players in the NFL entering the 2021-22 season.
Who is the oldest NFL player in 2021?
Tom Brady is not only the greatest quarterback of all time, but he is also the oldest player entering the 2021-22 NFL regular season.
Brady turned 44 years old on Aug. 3.
He has appeared in 10 Super Bowls and won seven of them. He led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to victory in Super Bowl LV in February and is looking to add another championship to his already illustrious career.
By winning the Super Bowl out of the NFC with the Bucs, Brady became the only quarterback to ever start and win the prize with two teams from two different conferences.
How many active NFL players are over 40 years old?
With Adam Vinatieri and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (age 42) both retiring this offseason, Brady is now the only current player who is over the age of 40.
Who is the oldest quarterback in the NFL other than Tom Brady?
Ben Roethlisberger turns 40 on March 2, 2022, and will join Brady on the Club 40 list if he makes it another season at quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Washington Football Team quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick sits behind Brady and Roethlisberger as the third oldest QB in the NFL. Fitzpatrick turns 39 on Nov. 24, 2021.
Who is the oldest active player in the NFL other than Tom Brady?
L.P. Ladouceur is a long snapper who has appeared in every single Dallas Cowboys game since his rookie campaign in 2005. At 40 years old, he would be the second-oldest player in the league after Brady. However, he is a free agent with an uncertain future in the NFL entering the 2021 season.
Following Ladouceur on the long-in-the-tooth list is fellow long snapper Don Muhlbach, who turned 40 this month and was promptly cut by the Detroit Lions on his birthday. Muhlbach had been with the team for 17 seasons.
While Muhlbach is the oldest active player in the NFL other than Brady, the next-oldest NFL player not playing quarterback in 2021 is Los Angeles Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth. The 15-year NFL veteran and two-time All-Pro turns 40 in December.
Who is the oldest player in NFL history?
George Blanda is the oldest player to take the field 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.
Vinatieri was the oldest active NFL player before Brady. Vinatieri, Brady’s former teammate with the New England Patriots, did not have his contract renewed with the Indianapolis Colts after last season.
The NFL's all time leading scorer announced his retirement on May 26 after 24 seasons with the Patriots and Colts.
Vinatieri will turn 49 on Dec. 28.
