130+ NFL career statistics 2021 [Research Review]

The National Football League is one of the most dangerous sports as it involves players tackling one another to prevent the other team from scoring. Because of its high-injury rate, it’s hard not to wonder how long do football players' careers last?

We have gathered information from 80+ sources to highlight the average NFL career length based on positions, age, as well as other factors.

Average NFL career

• According to data collected in 2019, the average NFL career is 3.3 years
• Kickers have the longest average at 4.4 years
• Running backs have the shortest average career at 2.57 years

NFL retirement age (vs. other athletes)

• According to RBC Wealth Management, professional athletes retire before they hit the age of 30
• NFL players have the shortest average compared to other team sports at 27.6 years because of the physically demanding nature of the game
• MLB players retire 6.9% older than NFL players

Oldest players in NFL history

• George Blanda is the oldest NFL player at the age of retirement at age 48
• Morten Anderson is the second oldest at age 47
• Tom Brady, aged 44, has the potential to beat other records as he is still actively playing in the NFL

5 youngest players drafted in NFL history

• Amobi Okoye has been touted as the youngest draft pick in the NFL history, 2 months after turning 19
• Danielle Hunter was also drafted at age 19 but 5 months away from turning 20

*Still active in the NFL

NFL players with the longest career (per position)

• George Blanda, who played 26 seasons with the multiple NFL team, is also the player with the longest career as a quarterback
• The longest playing linebacker is Jeff Van Note who played for 18 seasons
• The longest playing receiver is Larry Fitzgerald who played for 17 seasons

NFL career length based on parameters

• There are different parameters that can affect how long an NFL player’s career lasts. Not accounting for injuries, players that have played at least once for Pro Bowl have the longest career average at 11.7 years.
• The next players with longe career trajectories are first-round draft picks at 9.3 years
• Players who are in 3 games for at least 3 seasons last about 7.1 years

NFL coach tenure (vs. other coaches)

• Compared to other coaches of major sports like basketball and baseball, NFL coaches have the highest average tenure, being with their current team for 4.3 seasons.
• Coaches from the English Premier League serve their team the shortest at an average of 3 seasons
• NFL coaches stay with the same team 26.5% longer than NBA coaches

NFL players with the longest careers

The NFL player with the longest playing career is George Blanda. He played for 26 seasons, from 1949 to 1975. He played for the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Colts, Houston Oilers, and Oakland Raiders and held positions as kicker or quarterback. Other players with long careers are:

• Morten Anderson - 25 seasons
• Adam Vinatieri - 24 seasons
• Gary Anderson - 22 seasons

NFL players who played the most games

• Morten Anderson played the most games at 382. He played as a kicker for various teams such as the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, and Minnesota Vikings. Other players include:
  • Adam Vinatieri - 365 games
  • Gary Anderson - 353 games
  • Jeff Feagles - 352 games

Players who played with the most NFL teams

• Josh Johnson has played for 19 NFL teams so far. In sports, a player that transfers from team to team is referred to as a journeyman. The following journeymen have played the most teams throughout their careers:
  • Shayne Graham - 16 teams
  • John McCown - 13 teams
  • J. T. O'Sullivan - 11 teams

NFL players who spent the longest time in one team

• If some NFL players are journeymen, others spend their whole careers in just one team. Lou Groza played for the Cleveland Browns for 21 seasons, making him the longest NFL player who played for a single team. Other players include:
  • Jason Hanson - 21 seasons with the Detroit Lions
  • Darrell Green - 20 seasons with the Washington Redskins
  • Jackie Slater - 20 seasons with the St.Louis Rams, now known as the Los Angeles Rams

About RunRepeat

RunRepeat hosts a large collection of shoe reviews. All the shoes are lab-tested and field-tested. That means we cut them in half and subject them to dozens of different tests and we use them for running or playing football, basketball, tennis. We cut sneakers in half as well - they get the same treatment as athletic shoes. 

Use of content

• If you want to know more about the NFL career statistics, you can reach out to Nick Rizzo at nick@runrepeat.com. He’s also available to do interviews.
• Feel free to use data found in this article in any online publication or platform. We only request that you link back to this original source.

References