Retirement Age in the NFL (1 Viewer)

[DevilDog919]

I have looked and am just not great at finding the numbers I'm wanting, and I know some on this board is very good at that. What I'm looking for is the average age of retirement in the NFL, either by position or just simply the average age (although kickers will skew that age). I am curious because in dynasty players that are approaching 35 seem to be invaluable no matter how big of studs they were last season (Randy Moss, TO, Derrick Mason, Donald Driver, etc.) And other than Jerry Rice, has any other WR played and produced well after age 36?

 

[Deadman31]

not sure of the average retirement age, but I remember reading somewhere that the average length of an NFL players career is around 5 years.

 

[Jeff Tefertiller]

I think the easier way to go is to look for avg career length. Then, you can do the math backwards. I know these averages have been discussed in the shark pool.

 

[moondog]

not sure of the average retirement age, but I remember reading somewhere that the average length of an NFL players career is around 5 years.

And I believe a player qualifies for their pension if they are on an active roster in four separate seasons.

 

[Sammy Traveller]

Grandpa Favre is an outlier.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

I am curious because in dynasty players that are approaching 35 seem to be invaluable no matter how big of studs they were last season....

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

 

[sho nuff]

Grandpa Favre is an outlier.

Skewing the numbers a bit.Not sure on an answer for the OP though.And some of those WRs mentioned are guys that simply keep working to keep in shape.I can see that being a Packer fan and following Driver.2 weeks after the season he was already working out again to prepare and says he knows he has to work like that to keep up with the younger guys.And on Driver...I think his production might drop some this year from last year. But maybe not as much from the age...but from the emergence of Finley.

 

[Please See Mine]

If the PFR db just had age as a field in the seasons file, this would be easy.

 

[DevilDog919]

Grandpa Favre is an outlier.

Skewing the numbers a bit.Not sure on an answer for the OP though.And some of those WRs mentioned are guys that simply keep working to keep in shape.I can see that being a Packer fan and following Driver.2 weeks after the season he was already working out again to prepare and says he knows he has to work like that to keep up with the younger guys.And on Driver...I think his production might drop some this year from last year. But maybe not as much from the age...but from the emergence of Finley.

Definetly think Driver is motivated and has the work ethic to be an outlier at WR similar to Jerry Rice. Him and TO both are workout warriors that still look amazing at their age. Was hoping someone would have some sort of numbers visible, but looks like I'll have to try and dig further for what I'm looking for.

 

[Doug Drinen]

If the PFR db just had age as a field in the seasons file, this would be easy.

C'mon now...Historical data dominator at FBG

Play index at pfr

 

[Marauder]

I think the easier way to go is to look for avg career length. Then, you can do the math backwards. I know these averages have been discussed in the shark pool.

I don't think average career length is going to give him what he needs. That number is going to be skewed downward by all the scrubs who spend a year or two in the league before getting cut. Since he is asking for fantasy purposes, really only players who are fantasy relevant are applicable. In fact, since he used the word retire, it might be limited to the players who are good enough to retire, as opposed to being cut, which would be a very small percentage of players.On average studs will have longer careers than average starters who in turn will have longer careers than backups.

 

[Catbird]

Career length always makes me crazy (beware, rant to follow). I don't think it tells you anything useful.

A lot of guys come up, are busts and gone in a year, 2 or 3. That doesn't help arrive at a useful calculation on how long a starter plays. Marauder has the part right about better guys playing longer. To me, you come into the league around 23. RBs are good until roughly 30 and play until maybe 32 while winding down. That's 7-8 years of good production. WRs often get another 5 years of high level play. QBs can typically go maybe 3 after WRs, so they get a very rough 16? But different guys are just different guys. Some wear out sooner than others. Some get hurt and retire, others get hurt a lot and are beaten down. Some seem to never get hurt and glide along forever, others have concussions, get too stiff, some fade from losing too much speed, gradually or quickly ... IMO, its too wide a range to call for the individiual except by looking at him and his skills erosion. But absent injuries that cripple, I think you can expect to get 7 good years out of a starting RB, a sure 10-11 from a WR and a solid 14 from a starting QB, with the average stud running a year or two better than that.

 

[Sudoku_in_the_Bathtub]

I think I hear every year how Driver's on the outs in GB. The guy is one of the most in shape players in the league, still playing at a very high level. I agree he's a guy that'll be playing 2-3 years from now. Kinda doubtful that he'll be replaced by a guy amongst the league leaders in drop % [Jones]. Whitey from Kansas State's a better football player anyhow. Jones reminds me of Bryant Johnson.

 

[Sweet Love]

I think the easier way to go is to look for avg career length. Then, you can do the math backwards. I know these averages have been discussed in the shark pool.

I don't think average career length is going to give him what he needs. That number is going to be skewed downward by all the scrubs who spend a year or two in the league before getting cut. Since he is asking for fantasy purposes, really only players who are fantasy relevant are applicable. In fact, since he used the word retire, it might be limited to the players who are good enough to retire, as opposed to being cut, which would be a very small percentage of players.On average studs will have longer careers than average starters who in turn will have longer careers than backups.

THIS. I don't think there is a way you can determine "when they retire". Look at guys like Edge James even. They stall out for a year as a backup, stay eligible for a year or even two (w/o getting picked up) and eventually get to signing the papers. Few go out like Emmitt Smith, for example, so the numbers for what you are looking at are going to be skewed.

 

[SSOG]

And other than Jerry Rice, has any other WR played and produced well after age 36?

Jimmy Smith was WR19 at age 36 (70/1023/6)Joey Galloway was WR21 at age 36 (57/1014/6)Charlie Joiner was WR20 at age 36 (65/960/3)Isaac Bruce was WR26 at age 36 (61/835/7)Terrell Owens was WR26 at age 36 (55/829/5)Cris Carter was WR32 at age 36 (73/871/6)James Lofton was WR18 at age 36 (51/786/6)Tim Brown was WR39 at age 36 (81/930/2)There are no other instances of a WR scoring 100+ fantasy points at age 36 (outside of Jerry Rice, of course). Only two players have ever scored 100 fantasy points at age 37 or older- Jerry Rice, and Charlie Joiner, who was WR21 at age 37 (61/793/6), and who was WR14 at age 38 (59/932/7).

 

[Please See Mine]

If the PFR db just had age as a field in the seasons file, this would be easy.

C'mon now...Historical data dominator at FBG

Play index at pfr

Age is on each player's page for each season on PFR. I would have thought that you could have just thrown it in to the exportable seasons files.You're right that you can a good deal of the analysis with the play index, but if it were on the seasons file, it would be easy to find each player's age in his last year, then chop it up by position.

 

[Chase Stuart]

If the PFR db just had age as a field in the seasons file, this would be easy.

C'mon now...Historical data dominator at FBG

Play index at pfr

Age is on each player's page for each season on PFR. I would have thought that you could have just thrown it in to the exportable seasons files.You're right that you can a good deal of the analysis with the play index, but if it were on the seasons file, it would be easy to find each player's age in his last year, then chop it up by position.

Birth year is in the master file, so you can combine the two that way. Still, I'm not sure how helpful that would be. As pointed out before, you really don't want to know the age of every guy's last year in the NFL. But I'm not sure exactly what criteria you want to use.

 

[Please See Mine]

If the PFR db just had age as a field in the seasons file, this would be easy.

C'mon now...Historical data dominator at FBG

Play index at pfr

Age is on each player's page for each season on PFR. I would have thought that you could have just thrown it in to the exportable seasons files.You're right that you can a good deal of the analysis with the play index, but if it were on the seasons file, it would be easy to find each player's age in his last year, then chop it up by position.

Birth year is in the master file, so you can combine the two that way. Still, I'm not sure how helpful that would be. As pointed out before, you really don't want to know the age of every guy's last year in the NFL. But I'm not sure exactly what criteria you want to use.

Good call. I will take a look. You are probably right that it is not going to be that useful in determining age vs. performance. Just trying to answer the OP's original question about average retirement age.

 

[Shutout]

I seriously doubt that you will be able to quantify a number to help you make decisions on this. Quite frankly, if there were a solid lock formula for how to do it, someone would have already created it (right after they made the one for RBs).

There are simply too many variables, internal and external.

You want to use a word like "worthless" as an antonym to valuable. Invaluable is meant to describe something with extreme value (priceless piece of art is invaluable).

 

[Bri]

ESPN the Mag had this a while back IIRC.

Average was something like 4 years.

I think they then took the average of anyone that played more than 5 years and the retirement age was still near 29-30.

Email them over at FO, I thought they did it.