The Oldest Players In NFL History - Will Tom Brady break George Blanda's Record?

The average NFL career lasts an average of 3.3 years. There are just under 1700 active roster spots per season barring injuries, trades, and cuts throughout the season. You have to be incredibly talented to even get noticed by NFL scouts, and even then you have to be elite to receive a spot on an NFL roster. With such short average career spans, it's a wonder anyone has made it 10 years in the league, let alone 20. There are some people who nearly were able to reach 30 years. Today we’re going to take a look at the top 5 oldest NFL players of all time. Before we dive in be sure to subscribe to the Archive of Everything for more interesting videos just like this. Alright let’s get started! John Nesser was born in 1876 and played in the NFL. Yes you heard me correctly. Someone born only about 10 years after the American Civil war ended played in the NFL. Nesser as many NFL players of the era were expected to take on multiple positions. He started at various times as a Guard, Tackle, and even QB. His career wasn’t as long as some other men on this list, but the fact that he was even able to have a career starting at age 33 is truly impressive. He retired after playing at the age of 45 in 1921. Safely he would pass away only 10 years later at the age of 55. John Carney is the first kicker on our list, and his name may be more familiar than John Nesser. Carney played in the NFL from 1987 until 2010. He was a kicker, and joined the Cincinnati Bengals in 1987 as an undrafted free agent. He played for many teams throughout his 22 year career including with the Bucs, Chargers, Rams, Jags, Chiefs, and Giants before finally retiring in 2010 after his final season playing for the Saints. He was 46 at the time he retired. Morten Andersen is yet another kicker to be on this list. He played for 6 teams between 1982 and 2007 before retiring as a member of the Atlanta Falcons. During his time in the NFL he set the record for most games played in at 382, and was formerly the all time leading scorer in NFL history before being passed by the next player on our list. Andersen was 47 years old at the time he retired from the league. Adam Vinatieri is the third kicker on our list. He spent his 23 year career split between the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. He had many iconic moments throughout his storied career, including 4 Super Bowl wins. His calm demeanor under pressure and clutch kicking led to the nickname Ice Man. Age finally seemed to catch up to Vinatieri as his last season was riddled with injuries, causing the Colts to finally choose not to renew his contract.He retired in 2021 after a storied 23 year career at the age of 47 as the NFL’s all time leading scorer. Much like John Nesser, George Blanda was a man of many talents playing as both a Kicker and a QB. He played in the AFL and NFL for 26 seasons, which remains a record to this day. He began his career in 1949 as a member of the Chicago Bears where he stayed for 9 years. He then took 2 years off in a semi-retirement before joining the Houston Oilers in 1960. In 1966 he joined the Oakland Raiders where he stayed until he retired in 1975 at the age of 48.