BroBible
The NFL is the most difficult, physically demanding sports league in the world to carve out a lengthy career. After all, there’s a reason they say that NFL stands for “Not For Long.”
According to a study by Statista, the average NFL career is just 3.3 years long. That number is heavily influenced by both punters and kickers, who have a whopping 4.87 average; meanwhile, the average running back lasts just 2.57 yards.
Which is all to say, if you’re able to carve out a lengthy career in the league, regardless of how big a name you are, you’ve already beaten the odds.
These 10 players, however, are the ultimate odds beaters, playing more NFL games than everyone else in the league’s storied history.
As it stands, no currently active player is on the list. The top active player is Arizona Cardinals star Calais Campbell, who at age 39 is still one of the NFL’s most disruptive defensive linemen.
Campbell checks in at No. 31 on the list with 266 games played, well outside of the top 10.
Of note, the list does not include playoff games, although unsurprisingly, the players atop the list have also played in their fair share of postseason football.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3vF9v8us-Y
With all do respect to former veteran kicker John Carney, who won a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints and twice made the Pro Bowl (14 years apart!), the big name on No. 10 on our list is Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre.
Favre, for all his off-field missteps, was a one-of-a-kind gunslinger who made his name as perhaps the league’s best player in the late 1990s.
A three-time NFL MVP from 1995-97, Favre threw for a whopping 71,838 yards, 508 touchdowns, and holds the league record for most consecutive starts at 297.
Jerry Rice’s inclusion on this list of nothing short of incredible. But we’d expect nothing less from a player who is not only the greatest wide receiver of all time, but perhaps the greatest player in league history, depending on who you ask.
Rice is the lone non-quarterback skill player on this list, and his longevity is surpassed only by his ridiculous resume.
The San Francisco 49ers legend holds the NFL record for career receptions (1,459), receiving yards (22,895), and receiving touchdowns (197). He is a 13-time Pro Bowler, 10-time first-team All-Pro selection, and a three-time Super Bowl champ.
Simply put, Rice is the GOAT receiver, and his incredible longevity and durability only rubberstamps that fact.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GzI-q1CjVk
To nobody’s surprise, this list is littered with kickers and punters, who avoid the typical violence associated with playing in the NFL.
No. 8 on our list is veteran kicker Phil Dawson, who spent the majority of his career with the Cleveland Browns before stints with San Francisco and...
