While NFL players will battle each other on the field, their biggest opponent will always be Father Time.
At some point, no matter the level of talent, the player just simply can't play anymore. We have seen a drastic shift in some positions, where now, for example, a running back playing past the age of 28 seems like an anomaly.
Still, some players continue to defy the odds, playing late into their 30s and beyond. The oldest NFL player in NFL history was George Blanda, who somehow managed to play until he was 48 years old. No active player in 2026 has a chance to catch Blanda, but there are still plenty of players who are defying Father Time.
Here is more on the oldest players in 2026.
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Oldest players in the NFL 2026
Five NFL players on active rosters are 40 or older: Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers, Denver Broncos TE Marcedes Lewis, New York Jets K Nick Folk, Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Flacco and Buffalo Bills K Matt Prater. Rodgers, who turned 42 in December 2025, is the oldest active player in the NFL.
Here's a complete look at the 15 oldest active players in the league:
| Player | Age (birthday) | Position | Team |
| Aaron Rodgers | 42 (Dec. 2, 1983) | QB | Steelers |
| Marcedes Lewis | 41 (May 19, 1984) | TE | Broncos |
| Matt Prater | 41 (Aug. 10, 1984) | K | Bills |
| Nick Folk | 41 (Nov. 5, 1984) | K | Jets |
| Joe Flacco | 40 (Jan. 16, 1985) | QB | Bengals |
| J.J. Jansen | 39 (Jan. 20, 1986) | LS | Panthers |
| Jon Weeks | 39 (Feb. 17, 1986) | LS | 49ers |
| Thomas Morstead | 39 (Mar. 8, 1986) | P | 49ers |
| Morgan Cox | 39 (Apr. 26, 1986) | LS | Titans |
| Josh Johnson | 39 (May 15, 1986) | QB | Commanders |
| Calais Campbell | 39 (Sept. 1, 1986) | DE | Cardinals |
| Graham Gano | 38 (Apr. 9, 1987) | K | Giants |
| Andrew DePaola | 38 (Jul. 28, 1987) | LS | Vikings |
| Andy Dalton | 37 (Oct. 29, 1987) | QB | Panthers |
| Matthew Stafford | 37 (Feb. 7, 1988) | QB | Rams |
| Case Keenum | 37 (Feb. 17, 1988) | QB | Bears |
One of the surprising things about this list is how many quarterbacks are on it. Out of everyone on the list, they are theoretically getting hit the most, and you'd assume that the position doesn't come with much guaranteed longevity. Granted, three of the quarterbacks on the list — Johnson, Dalton, Keenum — have served as backups more recently in their careers.
Lewis is a recent addition to this list. The 41-year-old tight end started the 2025 regular season out of the league, but he was signed to the Broncos' practice squad in late October. He was elevated to the active roster for the team's Week 9 game against the Houston Texans, making him the oldest tight end to ever play in an NFL game. Even with Denver making the postseason, he was released by the franchise after the regular season ended, but was re-signed to the practice squad.
It isn't surprising to see that eight players on the list are specialists who are expected to take very few hits over the course of a game.
MORE: Ranking the greatest Steelers of all time
Oldest players in NFL history
Nine players have played in the NFL at age 45 or older:
| Player | Age at end of final season | Position | Last played |
| George Blanda | 48 | QB/K | 1975 |
| Morten Anderson | 47 | K | 2007 |
| Adam Vinatieri | 47 | K | 2019 |
| Bobby Marshall | 45 | End | 1925 |
| John Carney | 45 | K | 2010 |
| John Nesser | 45 | OL | 1921 |
| Gary Anderson | 45 | K | 2004 |
| Tom Brady | 45 | QB | 2002 |
| Ben Agajanian | 45 | K | 1964 |
This group will not welcome a new member in 2026, as the oldest active player (Rodgers) will only be 42 by the end of the season. Rodgers has said he expects 2025 to be his final season, so the likelihood of him becoming the 10th player to play at 45 years old is almost certainly non-existent.
Brady made history by becoming the oldest player to start a game at quarterback in 2022, doing so at 45. He's not the oldest player in NFL history, though. A handful of players who finished their careers at age 45 were older than Brady by a few months, and three players have played past 45: George Blanda, Morten Anderson, and Adam Vinatieri.
Anderson and Vinatieri made it to 47 in the NFL as kickers, while Blanda did spend much of his career at quarterback but also kicked. He didn't start a game at quarterback past age 41, which is why Brady holds the record among QBs.
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