The NFL is undoubtedly a young man's sport, and many players who break into the league in their early 20s are out of football by their 30s.
Of course, there are some exceptions.
Players, such as Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, continue to defy Father Time and are still playing well into their 40s. Despite the brutal physicality of the sport, these players are oldest active NFL players:
L.P. Ladouceur, 38 (March 13, 1981)
L.P. Ladouceur looks on during a Cowboys game against the Eagles.
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The average fan may not be familiar with the Dallas Cowboys long snapper, but Ladouceur has held down this position since 2005. The specialist appeared in the Pro Bowl in 2014 and his 232 games is 12th-most among active players.
Eli Manning, 38 (Jan. 3, 1981)
Eli Manning looks up at the scoreboard during a Giants preseason game.
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Eli Manning may have lost his starting quarterback job this year, but he's still on the Giants roster at 38 years old. Manning has been an iron man of sorts for the Giants, missing just one game in his entire career before Daniel Jones took the reins in 2019. No one is sure what the future holds for the two-time Super Bowl champion, but reports indicate Manning wants to continue to play.
Ben Watson, 38 (Dec. 18, 1980)
Ben Watson reacts after a play during a 2019 game vs. the Browns.
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The New England Patriots tight end was cut by the Patriots earlier in the 2019 season following a four-game suspension, only to be re-signed by them a week later. Watson has amassed over 6,000 career receiving yards, which is sixth-most among active tight ends.
Josh McCown, 40 (July 4, 1979)
Josh McCown scrambles in a game against the Ravens.
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The Eagles backup quarterback had announced he was retiring in the spring of 2019, only to be lured back as Philadelphia's insurance policy on Carson Wentz. McCown has played for nine teams over his 17 seasons (and counting) in the NFL.
Drew Brees, 40 (Jan. 15, 1979)
Drew Brees looks to make a pass against the Bucs.
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The New Orleans Saints quarterback is one of the ageless wonders in the NFL. Brees continues to lead a Saints team that is a perennial Super Bowl contender and is putting up Pro Bowl numbers while he's at it. He missed a few games in 2019 due to a hand injury, but when healthy Brees looks like he's still ready to roll for a few more years.
Tom Brady, 42 (Aug. 3, 1977)
Tom Brady warms up in the rain at Gillette Stadium.
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Brady became the oldest quarterback to win a Super Bowl in 2019 and he continues to eye to break his own record. The New England Patriots star has expressed a desire to play until he's 45, but his age is beginning to create a conundrum for the Patriots on whether or not they want to move on from him for a younger quarterback. Brady's arguably the greatest quarterback of all-time, though, and part of that has been because he has been able to defy age.
Adam Vinatieri, 46 (Dec. 28, 1972)
Adam Vinatieri reacts after missing a 60-yard field goal.
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Vinatieri is well-known for his Super Bowl heroics with the Patriots, but he is still kicking around (no pun intended) with the Indianapolis Colts at age 46. The veteran kicker actually has more career wins than his former quarterback, and explained how he continues to do it in an interview with WFAN. Vinatieri has had some struggles in 2019, though, and may soon lose his title as oldest active player.
