Key Highlights:
- Youth Movement: Green Bay Packers have the youngest starters in the NFL in 2025 (24.8 years old)
- Veteran Core: Washington Commanders have the oldest average starters in the NFL (27.13 years old), nearly 277 days older than the next-highest team (Steelers)
- League Average: The average age of an NFL starter is 25.59 years old in 2025
- Oldest Positions: QBs are the oldest players on average (28.25 years old), followed by DTs (28.20 years old)
- Offensive Identities: Jacksonville Jaguars have the league’s youngest offense (25.31 years old); L.A. Rams have the oldest (29.29 years old)
- Defensive DNA: Philadelphia Eagles have the youngest defense (24.66 years old); Minnesota Vikings have the oldest (29.06 years old).
Average Age of Projected NFL Starters in 2025
The Green Bay Packers have the youngest average starters in the NFL in 2025. Of the 82 players on Green Bay’s active roster, just two of them are over the age of 30. They are long snapper Matt Orzech and kicker Brandon McManus. Green Bay ranks 6th in youngest offenses, and third in youngest defenses.
Comparatively, the Washington Commanders have the oldest average starters in the NFL, and by a considerable amount. Their average age of 27.31 is nearly 277 days older than the next-highest team (Steelers). 20 of their players are at least 30 years of age, with their defense being the second-oldest unit in the NFL.
The biggest difference for any team between the age of their offense and defense is the San Francisco 49ers. At an average of 25.19 years old, the 49ers’ defense is the second-youngest in the league, while their offense is the second oldest at 29.18. But despite the young offense, San Francisco ranks 3rd overall when it comes to teams with the highest age overall.
| Team | Age |
|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 24.80 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 25.00 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 25.07 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 25.09 |
| New York Jets | 25.10 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 25.23 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 25.24 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 25.26 |
| New England Patriots | 25.28 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 25.30 |
| Miami Dolphins | 25.32 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 25.32 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 25.44 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 25.53 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 25.55 |
| Chicago Bears | 25.55 |
| Carolina Panthers | 25.59 |
| Buffalo Bills | 25.64 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 25.66 |
| Denver Broncos | 25.67 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 25.68 |
| New York Giants | 25.78 |
| Cleveland Browns | 25.80 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 25.81 |
| Tennessee Titans | 25.81 |
| New Orleans Saints | 25.82 |
| Detroit Lions | 25.84 |
| Houston Texans | 26.08 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 26.11 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 26.14 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 26.37 |
| Washington Commanders | 27.13 |
| Average Age of NFL Starters | 25.59 |
Offense
The Jaguars have the youngest offense in the NFL. Some of the players that they hope to be regular contributors are among the youngest in the league. Two of the three wide receivers who are slated to be starters are currently 22 years old, including rookie Travis Hunter, and running back Tank Bigsby, who is 22 as well.
The players on Jacksonville’s offense have an average age of 25.31, slightly lower than that of the Chicago Bears at 25.51.
The Los Angeles Rams have the oldest offense in the league. The average age for their unit is 29.29, nearly four full years older than the average of the Jaguars. The San Francisco 49ers aren’t far behind at 29.18.
Average Age on Offense by Position
Despite the fact that there were 13 quarterbacks selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, the position still remains the oldest on offense. The average age for signal-callers around the league is 28.25 years old, nearly a full year older than any other position on that side of the ball (tight ends are the closest at 27.55).
The title of youngest offensive position goes to the running backs at 26.21 years, followed closely by wide receivers.
| Position | Avg Age |
|---|---|
| QB | 28.25 |
| RB | 26.21 |
| FB | 27.16 |
| LWR | 26.99 |
| RWR | 26.45 |
| SWR | 26.45 |
| TE | 27.55 |
| LT | 27.06 |
| LG | 27.12 |
| C | 27.26 |
| RG | 27.29 |
| RT | 26.97 |
Defense
The Minnesota Vikings don’t have a huge amount of players that are over the age of 30, but they have a handful of guys that bring up the average that gives them the oldest defense in the league. Safety Harrison Smith is one of the oldest players in the league at 36, and they acquired 31-year-old defensive lineman Javon Hargrave during the offseason.
Speaking of the defensive line, the three players that are slated to start along the front are 29, 30, and 31 years old.
The youngest defense in the league belongs to the defending champions. The Philadelphia Eagles ball-stopping unit has an average age of 24.66, nearly 6 months younger than the next-highest on the list (49ers). They lost some key veteran pieces this offseason, and helped replace them by using six of their draft picks on the defensive side of the ball.
Average Age on Defense by Position
| Position | Avg Age |
|---|---|
| DE | 27.41 |
| DT | 28.20 |
| LOLB | 27.15 |
| ROLB | 27.37 |
| MLB | 27.79 |
| LCB | 26.15 |
| RCB | 26.00 |
| NB | 26.03 |
| FS | 26.93 |
| SS | 26.66 |
Special Teams
Special teams units are generally older than the rest of the team, and no unit has a higher average age than the Dallas Cowboys for the upcoming season.
The unit’s average age is 31.69 years old, which is heavily skewed by punter Brian Anger, who is 36 years old. Longsnapper Trent Sieg turned 30 last month, making him the same age as kicker Brandon Aubrey. Even kickoff and punt returner KaVontae Turpin will be 29 by the time the season starts despite only being in the league for 4 years so far.
The Rams, who have the oldest offense in the NFL, have the youngest special teams unit. They have an average age of 24.81, with both their kicker and punter currently coming in at 23 years of age. Their long snapper is just 26.
Overall, the average age of a special teams player in the NFL is 28.52 years old.
Methodology
Team depth charts were sourced from OurLads.com to ensure consistency and positional accuracy.
For each NFL team, the age of every projected starter was recorded and used to calculate average starter age per team. Separate averages were also computed for offensive units, defensive units, and special teams.
Additionally, positional averages were determined to analyze age trends across specific roles.
