When Aaron Rodgers takes his first regular-season snap with the Pittsburgh Steelers this year, he’ll instantly break a franchise record. At 41, Rodgers will become the oldest player in franchise history.
The Steelers have existed since 1933, so it seems to hard to believe that Rodgers will become the oldest player ever, but that’s exactly what’s going to happen. In their 92 years of existence, the Steelers have never even had a player over the age of 40 take a snap for them at any position.
Steelers players who have come the closest to playing at 40
Ben Roethlisberger currently holds the record for oldest player in Steelers history, and he set that mark when he took his final snap with the team back in Week 18 of the 2021 season. That win over the Baltimore Ravens capped Big Ben’s 18-year career with the team in a game that was played on Jan. 9, 2022, just two months before he was set to turn 40.
Former Steelers linebacker James Harrison also came close to playing for the team at the age of 40, but he came up five months short. He played his final down for Pittsburgh in December 2017 and then turned 40 in May 2018.
Before Harrison came along, there was only one other player who came close to playing at the age of 40 and that was punter Bobby Walden, who played his final down in December 1977, just three months before he was set to turn 40 in March 1978.
Rodgers set to become the oldest player in the NFL in 2025
Not only will Rodgers become the oldest player the Steelers have ever had, but he’ll also be the oldest player in the NFL this year, a title he’s never held for an entire season. Rodgers looked like he was going to be the oldest player in 2023, but Jason Peters, who’s 23 months older than Rodgers, ended up signing during the middle of the season. He played in eight games for the Seahawks, so Rodgers had to settle for being the second-oldest player.
In 2024, the same thing happened: Rodgers went into the season as the oldest player, but Peters ended up signing with the Seahawks during the middle of the season again, stealing the title of oldest player from Rodgers.
With Peters now 43, this feels like the year where Rodgers could start and finish the season as the NFL’s oldest player. Here’s a look at the only players over the age of 40 who are currently under contract:
- Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers: 41 (Dec. 2, 1983)
- Browns QB Joe Flacco: 40 (Jan. 16, 1985)
That’s it. That’s the entire list, and it includes two former Super Bowl MVPs who are now playing in the same division.
There were four other players over the age of 40 who played last season, including Peters, Nick Folk, Matt Prater and Marcedes Lewis, so this list could grow if any of them sign a contract this year.
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When Rodgers takes the field in Week 1, he’ll become just the third QB in NFL history to start a game in his 21st season. The four-time MVP will join Tom Brady and Vinny Testaverde.
Rodgers will be hoping that his season goes a lot like Brady’s. Back in 2020, Brady went 11-5 and won a Super Bowl during his first season with the Buccaneers, which was his 21st season overall. As for Testaverde, he went 2-4 for the Panthers in what ended up being his final season in the NFL, so Rodgers will be certainly hoping not to go out like him.
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Author: John Breech
June 6, 2025 | 11:35 am
