How old is Matt Prater? Where Bills kicker ranks among oldest players in NFL

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How old is Matt Prater? Where Bills kicker ranks among oldest players in NFL image

One of the more surprising stories of the NFL season was the resurgence of kicker Matt Prater. After Tyler Bass began the season on IR, the Buffalo Bills pivoted and signed Prater early in September, just days before their Week 1 game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football.

Well, in a story that sounded right out of a movie, the Bills' chances of winning that SNF game came down to Prater's leg. The newly signed Bills rookie, still learning his teammates' names, drilled a 32-yard walk-off field goal to give the Bills a 41-40 win.

From that point on, he earned the trust of his coaches, teammates and, of course, the Bills Mafia. It's clear that Prater found another place to call home in his 19th season (which is the 8th-most among kickers in NFL history).

With that said, NFL fans might remember Prater from back in the day, when he kicked for the Denver Broncos and Peyton Manning or the Detroit Lions and Matthew Stafford. That brings up the question, how old is Prater?

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How old is Matt Prater?

The month before the season began on Aug. 10, Matt Prater turned 41 years old. At the time of his signing with the Bills in September, he was tied for the oldest active player in the NFL.

Originally, Prater was tied with Marcedes Lewis and Aaron Rodgers. However, Rodgers turned 42 in December of 2025, and then Nick Folk turned 41 in November. Shockingly, 44-year-old Philip Rivers came back to suit up for the Indianapolis Colts, but then he said he's retiring again, so he's no longer considered active.

MORE: Ranking the 15 greatest Bills players of all time

Oldest active players in NFL

Here's a look at the oldest active players in the NFL.

Rank	Player Name	Age	Team	POS
1	Aaron Rodgers	42	PIT	QB
T-2	Nick Folk	41	NYJ	K
T-2	Matt Prater	41	BUF	K
T-2	Marcedes Lewis	41	DEN	TE
5	Joe Flacco	40	CIN	QB
T-6	Calais Campbell	39	ARI	DL
T-6	Morgan Cox	39	TEN	DB
T-6	JJ Jansen	39	CAR	DB
T-6	Josh Johnson	39	WAS	QB
T-6	Thomas Morstead	39	SF	P
T-6	Jon Weeks	39	SF	DB

MORE: What to know about the oldest players in the NFL for 2026

Who is the oldest player in NFL history?

The oldest player in NFL history was George Blanda. Blanda had quite a career, playing both quarterback and kicker until he was 48 years old.

He played 26 seasons in the NFL, from 1949 to 1975. With a career spanning that long, it's probably no surprise he played for several teams — Chicago Bears, Baltimore Colts, Houston Oilers and Oakland Raiders.

MORE: What is a Buffalo Bill?

Oldest players in NFL history

Let's take a look at the oldest player of all time to see action in the NFL.

Rank	Name	Age	POS
1	George Blanda	48	K
2	Morten Andersen	47	K
T-3	Ben Agajanian	45	K
T-3	Gary Anderson	45	K
T-3	Tom Brady	45	QB
T-3	John Carney	45	K
T-3	Bobby Marshall	45	K
T-3	John Nesser	45	G-T
T-9	Steve DeBerg	44	QB
T-9	Warren Moon	44	QB
T-9	Eddie Murray	44	K
T-9	Vinny Testaverde	44	QB
T-9	Adam Vinatieri	44	K