10 Oldest NFL Players Ever to Win the Super Bowl
Winning a Super Bowl is hard. Winning one when most players your age are coaching, broadcasting, or just enjoying retirement? That’s legendary. In a league where careers typically end before 30, some players defied time, injuries, and the next generation of talent to lift the Lombardi Trophy in their late 30s and even 40s.
These athletes proved that age is just a number—especially when you have a ring to show for it. Let’s learn more about the oldest players to ever win a Super Bowl.
Tom Brady – 43 Years, 188 Days
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Of course, the GOAT tops the list. Tom Brady won his seventh Super Bowl at 43 years old with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV, cementing his place as the greatest quarterback of all time. He could have retired right then—but he kept playing for two more seasons because, well, he’s Tom Brady.
John Elway – 38 Years, 217 Days
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John Elway spent most of his career being labeled as the guy who couldn’t win the big one—until he won two Super Bowls in a row to silence the critics. In Super Bowl XXXIII (1999), at 38 years old, Elway threw for 336 yards and a touchdown, leading the Denver Broncos to a win over the Atlanta Falcons. He walked away as a Super Bowl MVP and retired on top.
Earl Morrall – 38 Years, 241 Days
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Earl Morrall had a career that every backup QB dreams of. He stepped in when Johnny Unitas got injured and helped the Baltimore Colts win Super Bowl V in 1971. Then, he joined the Miami Dolphins, winning two more rings (Super Bowl VII & VIII) as part of the only undefeated season in NFL history (1972). Not bad for a guy who spent most of his career waiting on the sidelines.
Babe Parilli – 38 Years, 250 Days
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You don’t hear Babe Parilli’s name often, but Joe Namath sure remembers him. Parilli was Broadway Joe’s backup during the Jets’ legendary Super Bowl III victory in 1969. He threw just one incomplete pass, but at 38 years old, he retired with a ring—a feat plenty of NFL superstars never accomplished.
Mark Brunell – 39 Years, 143 Days
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Mark Brunell was a three-time Pro Bowl quarterback in Jacksonville, but by 2009, he was holding a clipboard for Drew Brees in New Orleans. When the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV, Brunell didn’t take a single snap, but he still walked away with a ring—and the best view of Brees’ record-breaking performance.
Lomas Brown – 39 Years, 302 Days
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Lomas Brown spent most of his career protecting quarterbacks in Detroit, where he became a seven-time Pro Bowler. But the Lions never got close to a Super Bowl, so Brown joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002. That move paid off—he finished his career as a Super Bowl XXXVII champion.
Peyton Manning – 39 Years, 320 Days
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Peyton Manning wasn’t exactly at his best in Super Bowl 50—his arm strength was fading, and Denver’s defense carried the team. But none of that mattered. At 39 years and 320 days old, Manning still led the Broncos to a win over the Carolina Panthers and walked away with his second ring before riding off into retirement like John Elway before him.
Andrew Whitworth – 40 Years, 63 Days
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Andrew Whitworth spent 16 years protecting quarterbacks, mostly with the Bengals. But in 2021, he joined the Rams, and with Matthew Stafford at QB, Whitworth helped Los Angeles win Super Bowl LVI at 40 years old. His reward? A championship ring and a well-earned retirement.
Mike Horan – 40 Years, 363 Days
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This veteran punter won Super Bowl XXXIV with the St. Louis Rams just two days before his 41st birthday. He only had to punt twice in the game, but when your offense is The Greatest Show on Turf, that’s all you need.
Jeff Feagles – 41 Years, 333 Days
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Jeff Feagles was one of the best punters in NFL history, famous for pinning opponents deep into their own territory. When the Giants upset the undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, Feagles was nearly 42 years old—but still booming punts like a man 10 years younger.
Matt Stover – 42 Years, 11 Days
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The oldest player to ever score in a Super Bowl, Matt Stover, was 42 years old and a kicker for the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. Even though Indianapolis lost to the Saints, Stover still became the oldest player to ever score in a Super Bowl, proving that kickers really do age like fine wine.
Jerry Rice – 40 Years, 105 Days
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The greatest wide receiver of all time, Jerry Rice, played his last Super Bowl at 40 years old with the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII. The Raiders lost, but Rice proved that even at 40, he was still a serious threat on the field.