Super Bowl 50: 13 players over 30
A total of 13 players over the age of 30 will take the field on Sunday for Super Bowl 50. Certainly, this will be the last NFL game for several of these players. A win in Super Bowl 50 may be enough for a veteran in his mid-30s to seriously consider retirement.
The Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers reached the Super Bowl due to consistent contributions from veteran players; we’re going to list all 13 of these 30-somethings (Charles Tillman, 34, is left off the list because he is sidelined with a partially torn ACL injury).
(Editor’s note: All stats in this article come by way of Pro Football Reference.)
13. Vernon Davis, 32
Since joining the Broncos at midseason, Davis hasn’t been all that special. Drops have plagued him since he first donned an orange uniform, but he managed to catch 28 passes for 201 yards. Davis hasn’t reached the end zone since the 2014 season.
In addition, Davis has barely been targeted over the last month-plus. He was targeted once in the AFC Championship Game, the first time the ball was thrown his way since Dec. 20 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But maybe a return to the Bay Area where he made his fame will light a fire underneath Davis. Furthermore, he missed-out on a ring a few years ago when the Baltimore Ravens dealt the San Francisco 49ers a loss in XLVII.
It’s hard to see Davis sticking around much longer in the league. This could be his last chance at the ultimate prize.
Next: 12. Cortland Finnegan, 32
12. Cortland Finnegan, 32
The Panthers’ equivalent to the New England Patriots signing Steven Jackson, Finnegan finds himself in an extremely lucky position. Much like Jackson, the veteran cornerback was unsigned for the majority of 2015 before a contender in need of help in the face of injury came calling.
Finnegan had actually announced his retirement at the end of an unsuccessful 2014 season with the Miami Dolphins. Before the Panthers gave him a ring, Finnegan was managing Juice Bar franchises in Nashville, Tennessee. What’s better, juice or playoff football?
Playing in his first playoff game since 2008 when he was with the Tennessee Titans, Finnegan intercepted Russell Wilson in the Divisional Round. The pick was Finnegan’s reward for staying in shape and getting accustomed to the Panthers’ way of doing things through five regular season games.
Here’s what Finnegan told Jim Rome last month about the stroke of good luck:
"It was surreal. The fact (Panthers) would be undefeated and decide they would just bring a guy in a sign a guy, that’s a blessing. I’m thankful for everything that has transpired."
Unless the Panthers somehow decide to bring Finnegan back next season (which is very unlikely considering Finnegan’s age and the Panthers’ youth at the position), this will be Finnegan’s last dance in the NFL.
Next: 11. Thomas Davis, 32
11. Thomas Davis, 32
It appears that a broken arm suffered in the NFC Championship Game won’t keep Davis from playing in his first career Super Bowl. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Davis said he will be suiting up in Super Bowl 50 after participating in the Panthers’ light workout on Monday:
"I was excited, just really glad to be back out there with my teammates, running around, moving around, being active (and) not really feeling any pain. So, that was probably the best part of the day. Without a doubt, I will be there playing on Super Bowl Sunday."
Davis has been with the Panthers since 2005. His career can be examined in two parts. 2005 through 2008 represented the young days of Davis’ career before a rough patch from 2009-2011 in which the Georgia product appeared in just nine games. Since returning full-time in 2012, Davis has missed just two games.
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In 133 career games (115 starts), Davis has accumulated 625 tackles, 23 sacks, 17 forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, 42 passes defended and 10 interceptions. 2015 marked career highs for Davis in sacks (5.5) and interceptions (four).
Davis is one of the NFL’s darling players—hopefully, he doesn’t hurt that broken arm any further in Super Bowl 50.
Next: 10. Derek Anderson, 32
10. Derek Anderson, 32
Anderson was selected in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens, but he was cut from the purple birds in September of that season. He was immediately picked up by the Cleveland Browns, where he experienced a turbulent four seasons with the NFL’s most heartbroken franchise.
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If it’s any consolation, Browns fans can experience some connection to Super Bowl 50 with their former starting quarterback on the sideline backing up Cam Newton. This is Anderson’s fifth season in the backup role for Carolina after a one-year stint with the Arizona Cardinals following his disastrous 2009 season with the Browns.
Anderson has seen starting action in just two games for the Panthers, both last season. He won both of those contests, connecting on 67 percent of his attempts for 701 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. Not too shabby—the Panthers have one of the better backup quarterback situations in the NFL.
This season, however, Anderson has only been the kneel-down specialist for the Panthers at the end of victories. Don’t be surprised if Anderson is the last player to touch a football in the 2015 NFL season should the Panthers finish Super Bowl 50 in the “victory formation”.
Next: 9. DeMarcus Ware, 33
9. DeMarcus Ware, 33
For the first time in his 11-year career, Ware has a shot at slipping a Super Bowl ring on his finger. He’s accomplished many things over the course of his playing days: 134.5 sacks, 35 fumbles forced and eight Pro Bowls. But there’s nothing the former Dallas Cowboys legend wants more at this point in his career than to hoist the Vince Lombardi trophy.
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Here’s a few tidbits from Ware’s words with the media last week:
"This is my 11th year. It’s already January right now — 2016. The year 2015 is already gone. Time flies by so fast, and you have to cherish every single moment. I can remember maybe my first sack, but not the little, small things in the middle. The big things that you can accomplish with a team, that’s what you can remember forever. I look at it right now, this is one of those things that I can accomplish that way and can be a stamp in the book."
Ware was the Broncos’ best pass rusher in the AFC Championship Game, pacing the team with seven pressures of Tom Brady. If the Broncos are going to have any hope of slowing down the explosive Carolina attack, Ware will have to put that stamp in the book early and often.
Next: 8. Roman Harper, 33
8. Roman Harper, 33
An eye injury suffered in the NFC Championship Game won’t be keeping Harper out of the starting lineup on Sunday, and that’s a good thing for a Panthers team that doesn’t have many Super Bowl ring bearers in the locker room. Harper starred in the New Orleans Saints’ championship 2009 season, earning his first Pro Bowl nod.
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Since jumping ship to divisional rival Carolina, Harper has been a stud. Last year, he picked off a career-high four passes, returning one for a touchdown. While he hasn’t appeared on the interception stat sheet this season, Harper scooped up two fumbles in the regular season, contributing to the Panthers’ ball-hawking defense.
After this season, Harper becomes a free agent. For a player who always said he wanted to reach the decade milestone in his NFL career (which Harper has this season), the future is unclear. But Harper isn’t thinking past Sunday:
"I don’t know. I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. I always said I wanted to play 10, then I’ll look at it after that. I ran up on 10 pretty fast. I’m still capable of playing. I don’t know."
There’s nothing like going out on top, though.
Next: 7. Owen Daniels, 33
7. Owen Daniels, 33
The first pick in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft, Daniels is also getting his first taste of the NFL. A true AFC veteran, Daniels has logged in hours for the Houston Texans, Ravens and now the Broncos. Daniels has 479 receptions, 5,661 yards and 36 touchdowns to his name.
Having suffered through the famous Julian Edelman-to-Danny Amendola trick play touchdown pass in the 2014 Divisional Round, Daniels thought he saw funny business brewing in the AFC Championship Game and alerted his defensive teammates. That play was indicative of how badly Daniels wanted to reach the big game.
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Here is Daniels elaborating on his emotions leading up to kickoff, by way of the Green Bay Press-Gazette:
"It means everything. Really why I’m still playing football right now is to get to this opportunity to play in this game. Ten years is a long time to wait, but its 100 percent worth the wait to be in this and have this experience and to be in the moment and enjoy everything and hopefully have a great outcome on Sunday."
One of the more underrated tight ends in the NFL throughout his career, Daniels could factor into the Broncos’ game plan significantly on Sunday.
Next: 6. Jerricho Cotchery, 33
6. Jerricho Cotchery, 33
One of the most durable and consistent receivers of the 21st century, Cotchery is another old guy on this list playing in his first Super Bowl. He’s missed just 17 regular season games since the New York Jets drafted him in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft.
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Over the course of his career with the Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers and Panthers, Cotchery has amassed 6,623 yards and 34 touchdowns on 524 receptions. He’s also rushed the ball 22 times for 93 yards and a score. Back in his younger, crisper days with the Jets he was a force to be reckoned with in the return game as well, taking a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown as a rookie.
Since joining the Panthers in the wake of the team’s massive wide receiver exodus in the 2014 offseason, Cotchery has provided a pair of steady, dependable hands in an otherwise young receiving corps. In the regular season, he caught 39 passes for 485 yards and three touchdowns, and he recorded six snags in the two postseason games.
Cotchery told the New York Daily News that this could very well be the last time he suits up in the NFL.
"At this point, Year 12, yeah, absolutely, this could be the last shot. That’s reality. At this point in your career, you just realize this could be your last time in your career to do it."
Cotchery definitely has one of the best names in NFL history, too.
Next: 5. Jared Allen, 33
5. Jared Allen, 33
According to Pro Football Talk, Allen is “100 percent ready to go” for Super Bowl 50 after sitting out the NFC Championship Game with a foot injury. Nothing is going to stand in the way of Allen and his first Super Bowl appearance.
One of the best pass rushers of this century, Allen began his fame with the Kansas City Chiefs, racking up 43 sacks during his first four year in the NFL. He really blew up after being traded to the Minnesota Vikings, where he pumped out 85.5 sacks in six years. A sleepy 2014 season with the Chicago Bears led to him being traded to the Panthers this past September.
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In nine career games against the Broncos, Allen has a 3-6 record with just 2.5 sacks. Speaking of sacks, Allen is in a bit of drought these days having not dragged down a quarterback since Nov. 2.
Don’t be surprised if Allen calls it quits after Super Bowl 50. His career has been on the downswing ever since he left the Vikings in the 2014 offseason, and there’s nothing like going out on top. That’s a recurring theme in this slideshow.
Next: 4. Antonio Smith, 34
4. Antonio Smith, 34
Unlike many of the players in this list, Smith has been to the Super Bowl before. As a member of the Arizona Cardinals in 2008, Smith was on the receiving end of one of the most gut-wrenching finishes in Super Bowl history when Santonio Holmes came down with the go-ahead score in XLIII.
That proved to be Smith’s final game with the team that drafted him out of Oklahoma State in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft, as Smith went to play five seasons with the Houston Texans before a one-year stint with the Oakland Raiders in 2014.
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Amazingly, Smith has missed just one regular season game since the 2006 season. He suited up in all of the Broncos games this season, recording 2.5 sacks, Smith’s lowest sack total since 2006. With that in mind, this could very well be Smith’s last go at it. Here’s what he told the Broncos’ team blog last week:
"I’m excited to enjoy this moment. It ain’t really like I’m doing much to ride off into the sunset now. It’s like, ‘I’ve got the opportunity of a lifetime. I’ve got the season. I’m in the moment."
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Next: 3. Dwan Edwards, 34
3. Dwan Edwards, 34
Selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the 51st overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, Edward has led a long and respectable NFL career. The Oregon State product has never received much in the way of accolades (no Pro Bowl nods, for instance), but he’s been a serviceable defensive lineman for 11 years. He did a two-year stint with the Buffalo Bills before joining the Panthers at the beginning of 2012.
Edwards has found a home in Carolina. His 14 sacks in four seasons trump the 5.5 sacks Edwards racked up in his seven seasons with AFC teams Baltimore and Buffalo. Although he was used more sparingly in 2015, Edwards is another cog in the Carolina defensive machine.
Although Edwards has one year left on his deal, he is open to retirement after the Super Bowl, especially if it ends the way he and the Panthers hope.
"It’s weird to think about. You always want to go out on top. It’d be something I’ll have to think about after the season. No other better way to go out than that, for sure."
As a grade schooler, this writer once opened a pack of 2004 Topps football cards and found an Edwards rookie card.
Next: 2. Evan Mathis, 34
2. Evan Mathis, 34
The oldest offensive lineman in Super Bowl 50, Mathis will be playing against the same team that drafted him into the NFL. With the 79th pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, the Panthers selected Mathis out of Alabama, where he started 15 of 25 games over a three-year span before a 2008 season that saw Mathis playing for two teams, the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals.
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After two outstanding seasons with the Bengals in 2009 and 2010, Mathis signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, where his career really started to catch fire. Beginning in 2011, Pro Football Focus tabbed Mathis the best guard in the NFL three straight years in a row. 2013 was the Mathis’ career year, as he earned Pro Football Focus’ inaugural Bruce Matthews Award and was named First Team All-Pro.
However, Mathis’ time in Philly came to a head when Chip Kelly cut him this past summer for skipping voluntary OTAs for contract leverage reasons. The Eagles’ loss quickly became the Broncos’ gain; Mathis appeared in all 16 games for Denver this season. After Ryan Clady suffered a season-ending ACL tear in OTAs, the Broncos were severely undermanned at the position, and Mathis filled the void.
Of the 34-year-olds playing in Super Bowl 50, Mathis seems like the least likely to retire considering how well he’s still playing.
Next: 1. Peyton Manning
1. Peyton Manning, 39
The oldest player in Super Bowl 50 by half a decade is a man looking to even his record in the big game to 2-2. A third Super Bowl loss would likely permanently stash Manning behind Tom Brady in the G.O.A.T. conversation.
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The Broncos’ chances of winning this game hinge on how much Manning looks his age. You see, the Carolina defense is too opportunistic in the turnover battle that Manning simply can’t afford to throw ducks on Sunday.
It should be noted that in four career games against the Panthers, Manning holds a 2-2 record. He’s completed just under 60 percent of throws against the sky blue cats for 1,074 yards, five touchdowns and three picks.
There are two ways that Patriots fans are viewing this game. They either want Cam Newton and the Panthers to completely blow the Broncos out of the water like the Seattle Seahawks did a few years ago; or, they sympathize with Manning, seeing as how he’s drinking from the same fountain of youth that Brady is, and want to see the old guy pull out the victory in his final game.
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So there you have it, the 13 old guys who will be playing in Super Bowl 50.