Here’s a full list of the oldest players to play in an NFL game.<\/p>\n
MORE: What are the oldest quarterback matchups in an NFL game?<\/a><\/p>\n 1. George Blanda, QB\/K (48) The oldest player to ever appear in an NFL game was George Blanda, who played quarterback and kicker in pro football for 26 seasons \u2014 the most in the history of the sport. Blanda played in both the AFL and NFL, and at the time of his retirement in 1976,\u00a0he had scored more points than anyone in history.<\/p>\n Blanda played for the Bears<\/a>, Colts, Oilers and Raiders<\/a> as both a quarterback and kicker. He retired in August 1976 at the age of 48, the oldest player to ever play in the NFL; his final NFL game was on Jan. 4, 1976, in the AFC Championship game, when he\u00a0made a 41-yard field goal and an extra point as the Raiders lost to the\u00a0Steelers<\/a>\u00a016\u201310. Blanda was released by the Raiders in 1976 training camp and retired.<\/p>\n One of only three NFL players to play in four different decades, Blanda\u00a0holds career records for most extra points made (943) and attempted (959). He played pro football from 1949 (age 22) to 1976 (age 48).\u00a0<\/p>\n MORE: What are the longest field goals made and attempted in NFL history?<\/a><\/p>\n 2. Morten Andersen, K (47) Morten Andersen played in the NFL for 25 seasons, primarily with the Saints<\/a> and Falcons<\/a>. “The Great Dane,” who\u00a0was born in\u00a0Copenhagen, holds the all-time NFL record for games played with 382.\u00a0<\/p>\n Inducted as the second kicker into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017, Andersen is also the Saints’ all-time leading scorer. In 2006, Andersen became the\u00a0all-time leading scorer in NFL history and all-time field goals made leader, records that were later surpassed.<\/p>\n Andersen did not receive any contract offers for the 2008 season, and he retired on Dec. 6 of that year \u2014 just two days after he would have become the oldest player ever to appear in an NFL game.\u00a0<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0What are the most valuable franchises in the NFL?<\/a><\/p>\n 3. Adam Vinatieri, K (47) Mandatory Credit: Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY NETWORK <\/p>\n Birthday:\u00a0Dec.\u00a028, 1972Final Season: 2019Teams:\u00a0New England Patriots\u00a0(1996\u20132005), Indianapolis Colts\u00a0(2006-19)Career Stats:\u00a0365 games,\u00a0599 FGM,\u00a0874 XPM,\u00a02,673 pointsAwards\/Accolades:\u00a04-time Super Bowl champion, 3-time First-team\u00a0All-Pro, 3-time Pro Bowl\u00a0<\/p>\n Arguably the most successful kicker in NFL history when accounting for individual and team accolades, Adam\u00a0Vinatieri played until age 47 as a member of the 2019 Colts.\u00a0<\/p>\n Vinatieri is the NFL’s\u00a0all-time leading scorer\u00a0at 2,673 points, also holding the records for\u00a0field goals\u00a0made (599), postseason points (238) and overtime field goals made (12), only adding onto his four Super Bowl rings. Vinatieri had multiple final-second field goals to win Super Bowls for the Patriots<\/a>.<\/p>\n He is also the only player to score 1,000 points for two different franchises, and when he officially retired in 2021 \u2014 two years after his final season with the Colts \u2014\u00a0he was the last active NFL player whose career began in the 1990s. Vinatieri played 24 NFL seasons.<\/p>\n MORE: Ranking the best Patriots players of all-time<\/a><\/p>\n 4. John Carney, K (46) From 1987-2010, John Carney was an NFL kicker, having spent time with eight different franchises. The Notre Dame alum was the last remaining player from the 1980s still active in pro football.<\/p>\n Carney won a Super Bowl with the Saints. In 2010, he started the season not on a team, but he landed back with New Orleans to become the oldest active player at the time, at age 46.<\/p>\n Carney is another of three NFL players to play across\u00a0four different decades.<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0How does NFL MVP voting work?<\/a><\/p>\n 5. Tom Brady, QB (45) Look at the accolades. Does Tom Brady need an introduction? There will never be another quarterback like him, and not just because of his accomplishments and peaks as the game’s best passer, but primarily because of his unreal longevity.<\/p>\n He’s the oldest quarterback to ever play in the NFL, and he was just as great at age 45 as he was when he won his first Super Bowl in 2001. Brady holds league records for: Super Bowl appearances, Super Bowl titles,\u00a0passing yards,\u00a0completions,\u00a0touchdown passes and games started by a quarterback. He is the only Super Bowl MVP for two different franchises.<\/p>\n Brady is the only quarterback to win a Super Bowl in three separate decades, perhaps the stat that best describes his combination of individual excellence with years and years of experience. In terms of his age,\u00a0he was the oldest NFL MVP at age\u00a040, the oldest Super Bowl MVP at age\u00a043, and the oldest quarterback selected to the Pro Bowl at age\u00a044.<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0Meet Tom Brady’s family tree, from his three kids to softball star niece<\/a><\/p>\n 6. Gary Anderson, K (45) From 1982 to 2004, Gary Andersen was an NFL kicker, racking up All-Pro selections, Pro Bowl selections and plenty other accolades \u2014 including\u00a0in 1998, becoming the first NFL kicker to convert every field goal and extra point in a regular season.<\/p>\n Andersen was the first\u00a0South African to appear in an NFL regular season game. Most of his career was spent with the Steelers and Vikings<\/a>, but he finished it out with the Titans<\/a> at age 45 in 2004.<\/p>\n Andersen is third in games played (353), points scored (2,434) and field goals made (538), and he is the Steelers’ all-time leading scorer at 1,343 points.<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0Ranking the 19 greatest Steelers players of all time<\/a><\/p>\n 7. Ben Agajanian, K (45)Birthday:\u00a0Aug.\u00a028, 1919Final Season:\u00a01964Teams:\u00a0Hollywood Bears (1942, 1946), San Diego Bombers (1943), Hollywood Rangers (1944), Philadelphia Eagles\u00a0(1945), Pittsburgh Steelers\u00a0(1945), Los Angeles Dons\u00a0(1947-48), New York Giants\u00a0(1949, 1954-57), Los Angeles Rams\u00a0(1953), Los Angeles Chargers\u00a0(1960), Dallas Texans\u00a0(1961), Green Bay Packers\u00a0(1961), Oakland Raiders\u00a0(1962), San Diego Chargers\u00a0(1964)Career Stats:\u00a0129 games,\u00a0104 FGM,\u00a0343 XPM,\u00a0Awards\/Accolades:\u00a02-time NFL champion\u00a0(1956,\u00a01961)<\/p>\n Ben Agajanian played kicker in the NFL, AAFC and AFL for over two decades. Nicknamed “The Toeless Wonder” because he had toes amputated,\u00a0Agajanian also served in the Air Force in World War II.<\/p>\n Agajanian was the third-ever known kicking specialist. He won a pair of NFL titles with the Giants and Packers<\/a>.<\/p>\n Agajanian remains the last Packer to wear No. 3. He retired at age 45 after kicking for the Chargers in 1964, and he then became a kicking coach for the Cowboys.<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0Ranking the 17 greatest Packers players of all time<\/a><\/p>\n 8. Bobby Marshall, DE (45)Birthday:\u00a0Mar.\u00a012, 1880Final Season: 1925Teams:\u00a0Minneapolis Marines (1913-17, 1919, 1927), Rock Island Independents\u00a0(1919-20),\u00a0Duluth Kelleys\u00a0(1925)Career Stats: N\/AAwards\/Accolades: N\/A<\/p>\n Bobby Marshall played for the 1925 Duluth Kelleys, and at the time, he was 45 years old. However, Marshall also competed in\u00a0baseball,\u00a0track,\u00a0boxing,\u00a0ice hockey\u00a0and wrestling.<\/p>\n Marshall was the first player with college football experience to play for the pre-NFL Minneapolis Marines, and in 1920, he\u00a0became the first African American athlete to play in an\u00a0American Professional Football Association, which is now the National Football League.<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0Most NFL Draft picks by a school in one year<\/a><\/p>\n 9. John Nesser, OL (45)Birthday:\u00a0Apr.\u00a025, 1876Final Season:\u00a01921Teams: Columbus PanhandlesCareer Stats:\u00a0N\/AAwards\/Accolades:\u00a0N\/A<\/p>\n John Nesser was born in Germany, then played in the “Ohio League” and early NFL for the Columbus Panhandles.<\/p>\n Nesser primarily played quarterback, but also on the offensive line. When he played for Columbus at age 45, he was temporarily the oldest player in NFL history.<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0Meaning, formula, NFL records and more to know about passer rating metric<\/a><\/p>\n 10. Vinny Testaverde, QB (44) Vinny Testaverde went from Heisman Trophy winner and national champion with Miami in college, to longtime NFL quarterback as a member of seven franchises. The No. 1 pick in the 1987 NFL Draft, Testeverde found the most success with the Jets.<\/p>\n Testeverde played 21 NFL seasons from 1987 to 2007,\u00a0finishing in the top 10 for most career passing statistics, such as sixth in career passing yardage, seventh in career touchdown passes and sixth in career completions.<\/p>\n While Testeverde enjoyed a long NFL career, he’s also known for holding the league record for\u00a0losses as a starting quarterback (123) and for throwing 35 interceptions in his second season for the Bucs.<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0NFL quarterbacks with the highest career passer ratings in history<\/a><\/p>\n 11. Matt Bryant, K (44) Matt Bryant went from undrafted free agent and AFL player, to NFL veteran who spent a decade in a Falcons uniform. In 2016, he was a Pro Bowler for Atlanta.<\/p>\n Bryant’s final season came in 2019, when he was 44 years old and one of the oldest players in league history.<\/p>\n He holds Falcons franchise records for points (1,168), extra-points made (386) and field goals made (386).<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0Best two-way players in NFL history, from Deion Sanders to Chuck Bednarik<\/a><\/p>\n 12. Eddie Murray, K (44) Not to be confused with the Baseball Hall of Famer,\u00a0Eddie Murray was a Canadian kicker in the NFL, and he found a ton of success on team and individual levels.\u00a0<\/p>\n Murray had plenty of achievements, from\u00a0making the longest field goal in Lions history (54 yards) at the time in 1983,\u00a0tying an\u00a0NFL\u00a0record for the highest field goal accuracy in a season at the time (95.24%), winning a Super Bowl with the Cowboys and more.<\/p>\n At age 44, Murray kicked for Washington in the 2000 season \u2014 and\u00a0his 250 career\u00a0NFL\u00a0games set the record for a Canadian-born player before it was later broken.<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0Ranking the 18 greatest Cowboys players of all time<\/a><\/p>\n 13. Steve DeBerg, QB (44) Steve DeBerg was tossing passes in the NFL from 1977, with the Cowboys, to 1998, with the Falcons. He enjoyed an 18-year career, still racking up some numbers despite primarily being a backup.<\/p>\n Known as one of the best play-action quarterbacks ever, most of DeBer’s starting experience came with the Chiefs. In 1990, he threw for 3,444 yards, 23 touchdowns and four interceptions for Kansas City.<\/p>\n In 1998, DeBer had been retired for a few years, but made a comeback at age 44 with the Falcons to be a backup. He became the oldest quarterback in NFL history (until later being surpassed by Tom Brady) when entering a game on Oct. 25, 1998.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USATSI_2155287.jpg.webp.webp\" "\\"George")
Birthday:\u00a0Sept.\u00a017, 1927Final Season:\u00a01975Teams:\u00a0Chicago Bears\u00a0(1949, 1950-58), Baltimore Colts\u00a0(1950), Houston Oilers\u00a0(1960-66), Oakland Raiders\u00a0(1967-75)Career Stats:\u00a0340 games, 26,920 passing yards,\u00a0236 passing TDs,\u00a0277 INTs,\u00a060.6 rating,\u00a0335 FGM,\u00a0943 XPMAwards\/Accolades:\u00a03-time\u00a0AFL champion, 1961 AFL MVP, 1974 NFL Man of the Year, 1-time\u00a0First-team\u00a0All-AFL, 2-time\u00a0Second-team All-AFL, 4-time\u00a0AFL All-Star<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USATSI_2457831.jpg.webp.webp\" "\\"Morten")
Birthday:\u00a0Aug. 19, 1960Final Season:\u00a02007Teams:\u00a0New Orleans Saints\u00a0(1982-94), Atlanta Falcons\u00a0(1995\u20132000, 2006-07), New York Giants\u00a0(2001), Kansas City Chiefs\u00a0(2002-03), Minnesota Vikings\u00a0(2004)Career Stats:\u00a0382 games, 565 FGM,\u00a0849 XPM,\u00a02,544 pointsAwards\/Accolades:\u00a04-time\u00a0First-team\u00a0All-Pro, 2-time\u00a0Second-team All-Pro, 7-time\u00a0Pro Bowl, 2-time\u00a0Golden Toe Award\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Patriots](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USATSI_9245227.jpg.webp.webp\" "\\"Patriots")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USATSI_4892436.jpg.webp.webp\" "\\"John")
Birthday:\u00a0Apr.\u00a020, 1964Final Season:\u00a02010Teams:\u00a0Cincinnati Bengals\u00a0(1987), Tampa Bay Buccaneers\u00a0(1987-89), San Diego Chargers\u00a0(1990, 1990-2000), Los Angeles Rams\u00a0(1990), New Orleans Saints\u00a0(2001-06, 2009-10), Jacksonville Jaguars\u00a0(2007), Kansas City Chiefs\u00a0(2007), New York Giants\u00a0(2008)Career Stats:\u00a0302 games, 478 FGM, 628 XPM,\u00a02,062 pointsAwards\/Accolades:\u00a01-time Super Bowl champion, 1-time First-team\u00a0All-Pro, 1-time Second-team All-Pro, 2-time Pro Bowl\u00a0<\/p>\nBirthday:\u00a0Aug.\u00a03, 1977Final Season:\u00a02022Teams:\u00a0New England Patriots\u00a0(2000-19), Tampa Bay Buccaneers\u00a0(2020-22)Career Stats:\u00a0335 games,\u00a089,214 passing yards,\u00a0649 passing TDs,\u00a0212 INTs,\u00a097.2 ratingAwards\/Accolades:\u00a07-time Super Bowl champion, 5-time Super Bowl MVP, 3-time NFL MVP, 2-time Offensive Player of the Year, 1-time NFL Comeback Player of the Year, 3-time First-team\u00a0All-Pro, 3-time Second-team All-Pro, 15-time Pro Bowl\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USATSI_14923737.jpg.webp.webp\" "\\"Gary")
Birthday:\u00a0July 16,\u00a01959Final Season:\u00a02004Teams:\u00a0Buffalo Bills\u00a0(1982), Pittsburgh Steelers\u00a0(1982-94), Philadelphia Eagles\u00a0(1995-96), San Francisco 49ers\u00a0(1997), Minnesota Vikings\u00a0(1998\u20132002), Tennessee Titans\u00a0(2003\u20132004)Career Stats:\u00a0353 games,\u00a0538 FGM,\u00a0820 XPM,\u00a02,434 pointsAwards\/Accolades:\u00a02-time First-team\u00a0All-Pro, 1-time Second-team All-Pro, 4-time Pro Bowl<\/p>\nBirthday:\u00a0Nov.\u00a013, 1963Final Season: 2007Teams:\u00a0Tampa Bay Buccaneers\u00a0(1987-92), Cleveland Browns\u00a0(1993-95), Baltimore Ravens\u00a0(1996-97), New York Jets\u00a0(1998\u20132003, 2005), Dallas Cowboys\u00a0(2004), New England Patriots\u00a0(2006), Carolina Panthers\u00a0(2007)Career Stats:\u00a0233 games,\u00a046,233 passing yards,\u00a0275 passing TDs,\u00a0267 INTs,\u00a075.0 ratingAwards\/Accolades:\u00a02-time Pro Bowl\u00a0(1996,\u00a01998)<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USATSI_11919598.jpg.webp.webp\" "\\"Matt")
Birthday:\u00a0May 29, 1975Final Season: 2019Teams:\u00a0New York Giants\u00a0(2002-03), Dallas Cowboys\u00a0(2004), Indianapolis Colts\u00a0(2004), Miami Dolphins\u00a0(2004), Tampa Bay Buccaneers\u00a0(2005-08), Atlanta Falcons\u00a0(2009-19)Career Stats:\u00a0241 games,\u00a0397 FGM,\u00a0567 XPMAwards\/Accolades:\u00a01-time Pro Bowl<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USATSI_11324585.jpg.webp.webp\" "\\"Eddie")
Birthday:\u00a0Aug.\u00a029, 1956Final Season: 1997Teams:\u00a0Detroit Lions\u00a0(1980-91, 1999), Kansas City Chiefs\u00a0(1992), Tampa Bay Buccaneers\u00a0(1992), Dallas Cowboys\u00a0(1993, 1999), Philadelphia Eagles\u00a0(1994), Washington Redskins\u00a0(1995, 2000), Minnesota Vikings\u00a0(1997)Career Stats:\u00a0250 games,\u00a0352 FGM,\u00a0538 XPM,\u00a01,594 pointsAwards\/Accolades: 1-time\u00a0Super Bowl champion, 1-time First-team\u00a0All-Pro\u00a0, 3-time Second-team All-Pro, 2-time Pro Bowl<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USATSI_5485460.jpg.webp.webp\" "\\"Steve")
Birthday:\u00a0Jan.\u00a019, 1954Final Season:\u00a01998Teams:\u00a0Dallas Cowboys\u00a0(1977), San Francisco 49ers\u00a0(1977-80), Denver Broncos\u00a0(1981-83), Tampa Bay Buccaneers\u00a0(1984-87, 1992-93), Kansas City Chiefs\u00a0(1988-91), Miami Dolphins\u00a0(1993), Atlanta Falcons\u00a0(1998)Career Stats:\u00a0206 games,\u00a034,241 passing yards,\u00a0196 passing TDs,\u00a0204 INTs,\u00a074.2 ratingAwards\/Accolades:\u00a0N\/A<\/p>\n