Longest NFL career non kicker is Tom Brady who played 381 games in 23 seasons. Longest quarterback career with one team is Ben Roethlisberger with 18 seasons.
The kickers have a major role in every football team. They are responsible for kicking the balls on the field with goals, extra points, kickoffs, and punts.
Kickers in National Football League is the highest scorer because they get the most real scoring chances. They could score a touchdown whenever the team scores a point.
They get the chance to score 3 points every time their team gets to the 35 and can rack up many points if the offense is good.
Non Kicker Scoring Leaders
NFL all time scoring leaders non kicker are Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, LaDainian Tomlinson, Randy Moss, and, Terrell Owens. Their points are 1256, 1052, 972, 950, and 942 respectively.
| Players | Points |
| Jerry Rice | 1256 |
| Emmitt Smith | 1052 |
| LaDainian Tomlinson | 972 |
| Randy Moss | 950 |
| Terrell Owens | 942 |
Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice, an American former football player played as a wide receiver in the National Football League for 20 seasons. Jerry started his career in 1985.
He was considered the greatest football player and the greatest wide receiver of all time. On 5 September 2005, Rice declared his retirement.
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith, a former American professional footballer was a running back. He played for 15 seasons mainly with Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League.
He started his career in 1990 and declared retirement in 2004.
LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson is a former American professional football player. He played as a running back for 11 seasons in the National Football League.
He started his career in 2001. In the 2001 National Football League Draft, the San Diego Chargers choose him as a fifth overall pick, after a successful career with the TCU Horned Frogs.
Tomlinson played for nine years with the Chargers and end his playing career in 2011.
Randy Moss
Randy Moss is a former professional football player. He played in the National Football League as a wide receiver for 14 seasons.
Randy started his career playing in 1998. He played with the San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, and Tennessee Titans.
Moss was regarded as the most talented and greatest wide receiver of all time. The player declared his retirement in 2012.
Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens is an American football wide receiver. He played for 15 seasons in the National Football League.
Terrell is considered the greatest wide receiver of all time. Owens was chosen by the San Francisco 49ers, in the third round of the 1996 National Football League draft after playing college football and basketball.
He started his playing career in 1996 and retired in 2010.
Quarterback Career Length
Average NFL qb career length is on average 3.3 years.
National Football League is regarded as one of the most physically demanding sports in the world since the players are frequently exposed to strong hits and collisions.
As the result, there is a high risk of injuries, and many players are forced to retire earlier and miss a significant time.
The league is highly competitive as it has a large pool of professional and talented players who are ready to replace the injured or can no longer perform.
National Football League players retire because of many reasons and they are:
- Tendon and ligament injuries especially in the ankle and knee
- Concussions and other neurological injuries
- Skills and abilities
- Other health issues
As there is no age bar for the player in the National Football League, the players can play as long as they are physically strong.
The quarterback with the longest and shortest career length is Tom and Doug respectively.
Tom Brady
An American former football quarterback, Tom Brady, helped his team to record seven Super Bowl victories and was recognized as the Most Valuable Player five times.
Brady was good at football and baseball in high school. A football quarterback was chosen by the Montreal Expos in the Major League Baseball draft in 1995, but he decided to play football at the University of Michigan.
Tom who did not start his debut until junior year, lead Michigan to victory in the 1999 Orange Bowl and received fame as an intelligent and determined player but one who lacks any physical skills.
Doug Flutie
Doug Flutie was a quarterback for 21 seasons.
Flutie played one season in United States Football, eight seasons in the Canadian Football League, and twelve seasons in the National Football League.
He was regarded as the greatest player in the league. In 1990, Doug left the National Football League and on 15 May 2005, he announced his retirement at the age of 43.
Longest Career With Same Team
The longest quarterback career with one team is played by Ben Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh Steelers drafted him in the first round of the 2004 National Football League draft.
Roethlisberger has played for 18 National Football League seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers and therefore, he has been the longest-tenured quarterback in the National Football League.
Career Length Based On Position
Average NFL career length by position are kickers/punters, quarterbacks, offensive linemen, etc. The average career length of them is 4.87, 4.44, and 3.63 respectively.
| NFL career lengths by position | Average career length in years |
| Kickers | 4.87 |
| Quarterbacks | 4.44 |
| Offensive Linemen | 3.63 |
| Defensive Linemen | 3.24 |
| Linebackers | 2.97 |
| Cornerbacks | 2.94 |
| Tight Ends | 2.85 |
| Wide receivers | 2.81 |
| Running backs | 2.57 |
| League average | 3.3 |
As per the average playing career length in the National Football League, defensive linemen, linebackers, cornerbacks, tight ends, wide receivers, and running backs have 3.24, 2.97, 2.94, 2.85, 2.81, and 2.57 average career lengths respectively.
The National Football League player’s career length is 3 years on average for a few reasons:
- Physicla demands: There is a high risk of broken bones, concussions, and torn ligaments to players. The sport is more violent and faster than other games, which increases the chances of physical injuries.
- Long-term contract: Many players in National Football League do not sign a long-term contract so they have to perform better to get a new deal.
- Age and performance: Many National Football League players start to see a decrease in performance between the age of 25-30, which may lead them to retire.
- Retirement: Some players may choose to retire earlier in National Football League because of personal reasons, health concerns, and the opportunities to take other career opportunities.