When Drew Brees plays his first game in 2020, he’ll join a small club of players who have logged 20 seasons in the NFL.
To date, just 21 men have reached that exclusive mark of longevity. It’s an interesting mix of kickers and quarterbacks, Hall of Famers and journeymen.
Tom Brady is a member. So is Brett Favre. But who else reached the two-decade mile marker? Let’s take a look, starting with …
George Blanda: 26 seasons
There are a few quarterbacks on this list and a lot of kickers. But only one was both a quarterback and kicker. Blanda played until the age of 48 after both throwing and kicking for the Bears, Colts, Oilers and Raiders. His final start under center came at the age of 41, but kicked for seven more seasons. He still owns the record for most extra points made (943) and attempted (959). He died in 2010 at the age of 83.
Morten Andersen: 25 seasons
Andersen is the NFL’s all-time leader in games played with 382 and owns the scoring records for two different franchises: the Saints and Falcons. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
Adam Vinatieri: 24 seasons
Could the 47-year-old Vinatieri return in 2020 for his 25th season? It remains to be seen. Vinatieri struggled in 2019 with the Colts and was placed on the injured reserve in December after undergoing season-ending knee injury. But if this is it, what a career. Vinatieri kicked game-winning field goals in two Super Bowls, made arguably the greatest kick in NFL history (the Patriots’ ‘Snow Bowl’ win over Oakland) and owns the NFL records for most points scored (2,673), most postseason points (238), most field goals made (599) and most overtime field goals made (12).
Gary Anderson: 23 seasons
The native South African played for six teams over 23 years, making 538 field goals, four Pro Bowls and both the 1980s and 1990s All-Decade Team along the way. And yet when Anderson is remembered, it’s for missing a field goal at the end of the 1998 NFC championship, keeping a 15-1 Vikings team from making the Super Bowl. Such is the life of a kicker.
John Carney: 23 seasons
Carney wasn’t drafted coming out of Notre Dame in 1987. But he was soon signed by the Cincinnati Bengals and never let up. By his last season in 2010, Carney had also played with the Buccaneers, Chargers, Saints, Rams, Jaguars, Chiefs and Giants. When he retired, he was third on the NFL’s career scoring list with 2,044 points and the last remaining player from the 1980s to be active in the NFL.
Jeff Feagles: 22 seasons
Feagles started his career with the Patriots in 1988 and ended with the Giants in 2009 at the age of 44 with a Super Bowl ring on his finger. Feagles played all 352 games in his career and holds the NFL record for most consecutive games played in a career. (He’d also own the record for consecutive starts, but special teams players are not credited for starts.)
Lou Groza: 21 seasons
Another two-way wonder in the mold of Blanda, Groza is a Pro Football Hall of Famer who kicked and also played offensive tackle. Groza’s entire career was played for the Cleveland Browns and he won eight league championships in that 21-year span. An Ohio State alum, the award for college football’s best placekicker is named after him.
Jason Hanson: 21 seasons
The Lions picked Hanson with the 56th overall pick of the 1992 draft and were rewarded with 21 seasons of stability on special teams. Hanson holds the record for most seasons played with one NFL team, a mark that remains safe now that Tom Brady won’t play his 21st season in New England.
Sean Landeta: 21 seasons
Landeta could’ve been higher on this list, but his first two full seasons in professional football were played in the USFL for the Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars. He joined the Giants in 1985, winning two Super Bowls before going onto play for the Rams, Bucs, Packers and Eagles. He was the last active NFL player to have appeared in the USFL and announced his retirement on March 6, 2008, which was the 25th anniversary of his first game in the USFL.
Earl Morrall: 21 seasons
With all apologies to Nick Foles, Earl Morrall is probably the greatest backup quarterback of all time. With the Colts, Morrall replaced an injured Johnny Unitas in both the Super Bowl III and Super Bowl V seasons, winning the title in the latter. He then moved to the Dolphins, where he replaced an injured Bob Griese during the 1972 season, winning 11 of Miami’s 17 games that season. (Griese did start the Super Bowl, though.) He later became quarterbacks coach at the University of Miami, where he worked with Jim Kelly, Bernie Kosar and fellow 20-season club member Vinny Testaverde.
Vinny Testaverde: 21 seasons
Testaverde was drafted first overall by Tampa Bay in 1987 and had some decent seasons with the New York Jets later in his career. But his years in the league were more about durability than anything else. His career playoff record was 2-3 and his 123 losses as a starting quarterback in the NFL is a NFL record. He threw 275 touchdowns in his career, a total just ahead of his career interceptions mark (267).
Tom Brady: 20 seasons
Heard of him? The greatest quarterback of all time, Brady went from the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL draft to a six-time Super Bowl champion, four-time Super Bowl MVP and three-time NFL MVP. After 20 seasons in New England, he now heads to Tampa Bay for his 21st season and beyond.
Phil Dawson: 20 seasons
A University of Texas product, Dawson was waived by both the Raiders and Patriots before being given a chance with the Browns in 1999. He’d play the next 15 seasons with the team, breaking Lou Groza’s team record for most field goals made in the process.
Brett Favre: 20 seasons
The NFL’s greatest iron man, the three-time MVP and future Hall of Famer made a record 297 straight starts (321 including playoffs) from 1992 to 2010.
Darrell Green: 20 seasons
One of the greatest cornerbacks in the history of the NFL, Green was a key part of the Redskins’ Super Bowl-era dynasty and an eventual Hall of Famer. He owns the record for NFL’s oldest defensive back at 42 years of age and was a four-time winner of the NFL’s fastest man competition.
Trey Junkin: 20 seasons
Junkin may be the least recognizable name on this list, but his ability to long snap extended his career past just being a linebacker and tight end. Giants fans, however, do not remember him fondly as his one game with the team featured a botched snap on a field goal attempt that could have won a wild card game against the 49ers.
John Kasay: 20 seasons
Kasay started his career with the Seahawks in 1991, became a Carolina Panthers mainstay from 1995-2010 and finished his career with the Saints for one season in 2011. He’s currently the Panthers’ all-time scoring leader with 1,482 points.
Jim Marshall: 20 seasons
A member of Minnesota’s feared “Purple People Eaters,” Marshall was one of 11 Vikings to play in all four of the team’s Super Bowl appearances. Marshall also started 270 straight games (it was his record that Favre broke) and is the owner of perhaps the greatest NFL blooper — his wrong-way run against the Niners that resulted in a safety for San Francisco.
Jerry Rice: 20 seasons
The greatest receiver of all time, Rice was a 13-time Pro Bowl, 12-time All-Pro, three-time Super Bowl champion and the owner of over 100 individual NFL records.
Junior Seau: 20 seasons
Seau is the cautionary tale of what football can do over the long run. The USC product became a Hall of Famer after 13 seasons with the Chargers, another three with the Dolphins and then four more with the Patriots. He tragically committed suicide just three years after his retirement and his brain later showed signs of CTE.
Jackie Slater: 20 seasons
A college teammate of Walter Payton’s, Slater played all 20 of his seasons with the Rams. He made seven Pro Bowls, was named first-team All-Pro three times and joined the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001.
