Who Has Been in the NFL the Longest?

Who Has Been in the NFL the Longest?

Brett Favre

Brett Favre played in the NFL for 20 seasons and is the only player to have played in 300 consecutive games. He is the all-time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns. He was also a two-time All-Pro and a three-time Pro Bowler. Let’s take a look at his career.

Drafted in 1991

Brett Favre was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern Mississippi, and was selected to three Pro Bowls in his 16 seasons with the Falcons. He also set an NFL record for most passing yards in a career, with 71,838.

20 seasons in the NFL

Brett Favre played for 20 seasons in the NFL, which is the longest of any player in NFL history. He played for the Green Bay Packers for 16 seasons, followed by the New York Jets for two seasons and then the Minnesota Vikings for two seasons. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.

Jerry Rice

Jerry Rice is a former American football wide receiver who played 20 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. He is widely considered to be the greatest wide receiver in NFL history. He is also the NFL’s all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown receptions.

Drafted in 1985

Rice was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 1985 NFL Draft. He played 23 seasons with the 49ers, Los Angeles Raiders, and Seattle Seahawks, compiling 1,848 receptions for 22,895 yards and 197 touchdown receptions in his career, the most of any player by a wide margin. His 1,549 receiving yards in a season (1995) is the second-most ever by an NFL player.

20 seasons in the NFL

Jerry Rice is a former American football wide receiver who played 20 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. He is widely considered to be the greatest wide receiver in NFL history, and frequently called the greatest overall player in NFL history.

Morten Andersen

Morten Andersen (born August 19, 1960), nicknamed “The Great Dane”, is a former American football kicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 25 seasons. After starting his career with the New Orleans Saints in 1982, he played for the Atlanta Falcons (1984–95), New York Giants (2001), Kansas City Chiefs (2002–03), and Minnesota Vikings (2004). He retired as the NFL’s all-time leading scorer with 2,544 points.

Drafted in 1982

Morten Andersen ( Danish pronunciation: [ˈmɒːdn̩ ˈændəsn̩]; born August 19, 1960), nicknamed “The Great Dane,” is a former American football kicker who played 25 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), longer than anyone else who has ever played the position.

Andersen was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 1982 NFL Draft out of Michigan State University. He played for the Saints for thirteen seasons from 1982 to 1994. He had a brief stint with the Atlanta Falcons in 1995, before returning to New Orleans and playing five more seasons from 1998 to 2002. He retired as a member of the Falcons organization as their Franchise leader in points scored with 2,544.

In his 25 NFL seasons, he participated in 382 games, more than any other player who has ever played professional football in NFL history. He holds NFL records for most games played by a kicker (382), and most points scored by a kicker (2,544). Andersen also holds the record for most field goals made in NFL postseason history with 28.

25 seasons in the NFL

Morten Andersen (born August 19, 1960), nicknamed “The Great Dane”, is a Danish former American football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 25 seasons. He played for the New Orleans Saints from 1982 to 1994, Atlanta Falcons from 1995 to 2000, New York Giants in 2001, Kansas City Chiefs from 2002 to 2003, Minnesota Vikings from 2004 to 2005, and Atlanta Falcons again from 2006 to 2007.

Andersen is the all-time leading scorer in NFL history with 2,544 points. He held the record for most field goals made in NFL history with 565 until it was broken by Adam Vinatieri in 2018. He is also the only kicker with seven seasons of 100 or more points. Andersen was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

Adam Vinatieri

Drafted in 1996

Adam Matthew Vinatieri (/vɪˈnætɪəri/ vin-AT-i-ər-ee; born December 28, 1972) is an American football placekicker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He has played in five Super Bowls: four with the New England Patriots and one with the Colts, winning four. He also holds numerous NFL records, including most points scored (2,600), most Super Bowl appearances (5), most overtime field goals made (9), and most consecutive 49+ yard field goals made in a single game (3). He is widely considered to be one of the greatest kickers in NFL history.

24 seasons in the NFL

Adam Vinatieri is an American football placekicker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He has played in five Super Bowls: four with the New England Patriots and one with the Colts. With both teams, he won three times. He holds NFL records for most career field goals (572) and most career points by a kicker (2,673). Vinatieri also kicked two game-winning field goals in the final minute of regulation, one in the 2002 AFC Championship Game to send it to overtime, and another in Super Bowl XLIII. He is considered one of the best kickers in NFL history.

Vinatieri has played in more seasons (24) and games (344) than any other player by a wide margin. His first game was on September 1, 1996, while his most recent game was on December 29, 2019; between those dates he played in an NFL-record 21 consecutive seasons. As of 2019, only 14 other players have been active for 23 or more seasons since 1950. Of those 14 players – all of whom are quarterbacks – only Tom Brady has been active for more seasons than Vinatieri; as of 2019, Brady has played in 22 NFL seasons.