Tag: age

Demario Davis has made his retirement plans, but he isn’t leaving just yet

Demario Davis has made his retirement plans. He knows exactly how many more seasons he wants to play in the NFL, hopefully with the Saints:

How much longer will Demario Davis play for the New Orleans Saints? He gave a definitive answer to Matt Moscona for After Further Review: “My goal is to do three more years and then I’m out of here.”

Davis is in an interesting place in both his career and his positioning with the team. The Saints are more than likely going into a youth movement. Davis remains one of the best players on the Saints’ defense. If there were a veteran to predict would be safe, it’s him. There’s still the unpredictability factor of a new coach wanting to clean house.

For the first time in five years, Davis didn’t make an Associated Press All-Pro team. For all of the criticism that he has received this year, Davis still received an All-Pro vote. He still played at a high level, but he didn’t perform to the standard he set over his tenure with the Saints.

Because of that, you’ll often hear that he’s losing a step. He’s 36 years old and the oldest linebacker in the NFL, so his athleticism taking a dip is to be expected. He isn’t performing poorly, however. An athlete playing well but not at the standard they previously set is a difficult thing to grapple with.

Davis isn’t in the position where you are placing him in the “farewell tour” category, but you are preparing for life after him or getting an athletic linebacker to pair with him.

Davis plans on three more seasons and told Moscona, “I’m not planning on no drop-off going out of here.” That would place him near 40 years old and we’ve already seen a slight drop off in athleticism. We should also point out his contract expires after the 2025 season, so he’ll need another extension to bring this vision to fruition.

There seemed to be an uptick in physicality this year. Allowing Davis to not have to be as rangy by pairing him with an athletic partner could allow him to be equally as effective. It won’t be as flashy, but it could help Davis and the Saints defense in the long run.

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Mark Ingram II lobbies for Saints to get Alvin Kamara some help in the NFL draft

Legendary New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram II made the case for his team to pair Alvin Kamara with Ashton Jeanty in the 2025 NFL draft:

Some New Orleans Saints fans have balked at the idea of picking a running back at ninth overall in this year’s 2025 NFL draft, but don’t count Mark Ingram II in that number. The team’s former leader in touchdown runs and rushing yards is a big fan of Boise State superstar Ashton Jeanty. And he sees a scenario where Jeanty could not just coexist with Alvin Kamara, but help the Saints offense get back where it belongs among league leaders.

Ingram made the case for Jeanty when he sat down with Kay Adams this week.

“Man, I think you’re seeing how pivotal the running back position is. And, given my guy AK is getting up there in nine years, you know, give him a little break so he can be healthy the whole year. Maybe you go running back. Maybe you go pair with him Ashton Jeanty. Whatchu you think about that?” Ingram asked.

Kamara’s most effective seasons as a runner by Pro Football Reference’s stats for Success Rate came in 2018 and 2020, when he had a capable partner to split carries with. In those years Kamara had 12.9 and 12.5 rushing attempts per game, respectively, while Ingram and Latavius Murray each had 11.5 and 9.7. Those are also the years Kamara scored the most touchdowns and gained the most yards from scrimmage, both as a runner and receiver. There’s absolutely room for another talent in the New Orleans backfield.

As for what Jeanty can add to the offense? Ingram says the Heisman Trophy runner-up can do just about everything: “Ashton Jeanty’s just a beast, man, he has juice, he can run the ball inside, run the ball outside, comes out the backfield and he catches it. Why not have another two-headed monster so my guy AK can be thriving again, in New Orleans?”

Those are some good points, but the financials should be considered, too. Kamara is under contract for 2025 and 2026 but could very well enter retirement in 2027. If the Saints draft someone like Jeanty now, they could get through the first two years of their contract as his tag-team partner before taking on the lead role in Year 3. And if the Saints take Ingram’s advice to pick Jeanty at No. 9? They would get a fifth-year option in his contract that ties him to the team through 2029. He turned 21 in December and wouldn’t be in line for a big-money extension until a few months after his 25th birthday, when he’d be hitting his athletic prime.

It isn’t the same as getting a star quarterback on a low-cost rookie contract, but these are the kind of competitive edges the Saints should be chasing when their new head coach begins to remodel the team. If they believe Jeanty can help Kamara finish his career strong before getting promoted to the offensive focal point, he’d be well worth the pick at No. 9.

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Saints formally place Taysom Hill on injured reserve, ending his season

The New Orleans Saints put Taysom Hill on injured reserve on Friday, formally ending his season after last week’s serious knee injury:

This was expected, but that doesn’t make it easier to accept. The New Orleans Saints placed Taysom Hill on injured reserve on Friday, formally ending his season after last week’s serious knee injury. Life comes at you fast in the NFL. Last week, Hill was selected as the NFC Offensive Player of the Week. This week his season is over.

Hill suffered a torn ACL and other damage to his left knee in a collision with other players late in the Saints’ loss to the Los Angeles Rams; this season was his most productive in the NFL despite dealing with some other injuries. Hill appeared in just eight games but averaged his best numbers in rushing yards per game (34.8) and receiving yards per game (23.4), scoring six touchdowns as a runner and receiver.

Will Hill be back in 2025? He’s under contract for just one more season and will turn 35 next year. Retirement would help the Saints out from a salary cap perspective, but there’s no replacing Hill’s importance to the team. That’s a question he’ll need to answer on another day. For now, we’ll wish him well in recovery.

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Broncos have NFL’s 3rd-youngest roster in 2024

The Broncos have the third-youngest roster in the NFL going into the 2024 NFL season, including 17 players under 25 years old.

After setting their 53-man roster last week, the Denver Broncos have the third-youngest team in the NFL going into the 2024 NFL season, according to data collected by bookies.com.

With an average age of 26 years, one month and 19 days, the Broncos only trail the Los Angeles Rams (25.11.12) and Green Bay Packers (25.7.25). The Buffalo Bills (27.5.29) are the oldest team in the league.

This is a big age drop from last year when Denver ranked as the 10th-oldest team in the league. The Broncos moved on from several aging veterans this spring including quarterback Russell Wilson (35) and safety Justin Simmons (30).

Denver also parted ways with safety Kareem Jackson (36) late last season, and fullback Michael Burton (32) was dropped down to the practice squad this summer, so he does not count against the team’s active roster age average. 

“Sean [Payton] has said it a number of times, ‘We’re young and hungry,'” general manager George Paton said after roster cuts last week.

Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles (32) is the team’s oldest player. Denver has three other players older than 30 and four players older than 29. Rookie pass rusher Jonah Elliss (21) is the team’s youngest player. The Broncos have 17 players under 25, including rookie quarterback Bo Nix (24).

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Saints’ initial 53-man roster age has plummeted compared to 2023

The New Orleans Saints have gone for the younger approach to team building this year, dropping their average team age by half a year in one offseason

Last season, the New Orleans Saints had the oldest initial 53-man roster age of any NFL team, starting off at 27.4 years old. Per Nola.com’s Luke Johnson, the roster is now down to an average age of 26.9. Nearly a half of a year decrease in age a season later, with some of the older players still remaining on the roster and one year older (like Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis, Taysom Hill, Derek Carr, Tyrann Mathieu, and so on) this shows how much the roster turnover really aimed for younger players.

The Saints ended up with four undrafted free agents making the roster, as well as all but one of their draft picks in 2024 making the roster (Josiah Ezirim was added to the practice squad), that explains much of this youth movement. These players are:

  • Taliese Fuaga – 22 years old
  • Kool-Aid McKinstry – 21 years old
  • Spencer Rattler – 23 years old
  • Bub Means – 23 years old
  • Jaylan Ford – 22 years old
  • Khristian Boyd – 24 years old
  • Mason Tipton – 23 years old
  • Matthew Hayball – 27 years old
  • Dallin Holker – 24 years old
  • Rico Payton – 24 years old

Additionally, Kendre Miller and Bryan Bresee are both still 22 as well, dragging the average age down even further. While they may still end up being in the upper half and on the higher side of the age groupings, they have most definitely looked to go younger this year as opposed to last year’s theme.

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Brewers rising star Jackson Chourio is younger than Wisconsin great Braelon Allen

Brewers rising star Jackson Chourio is younger than Wisconsin great Braelon Allen

The sporting discussion in the state of Wisconsin currently revolves around Milwaukee Brewers breakout star Jackson Chourio.

The 20-year-old outfielder is hitting .339 (62/183) with 9 home runs and 34 RBI in his last 50 games, leading the Brewers to a 66-49 record — only 0.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second-best record in the National League.

Related: Every former Wisconsin Badger currently on an NFL roster entering 2024 training camp

His season-long numbers are up to .274/.321/.758, 14 home runs, 50 RBI and 16 stolen bases. The rising star could near a 20 home-run, 20 stolen-base season. That mark has only been previously accomplished by two players of his age: Mike Trout (2012) and Vada Pinson (1959), numbers courtesy of MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy.

The summary: after an offseason full of headlines including former manager Craig Counsell taking the Chicago Cubs job and ace Corbin Burnes being traded to the Baltimore Orioles, a young rising star has become the story of the season. The age of that rising star (20 years old) is the story almost as much as how his play is helping the team.

Wisconsin Badgers fans are familiar with such a storyline. A mention of age was at the center of every discussion regarding running back Braelon Allen during his breakout true freshman season in 2021.

Allen was only 17 years old at the time after reclassifying in high school and joining the Badgers early.

Flash-forward three years, the 20-year-old Allen is a rookie on the New York Jets and enters the 2024 NFL season as the youngest player in the league. He is the league’s first active player to be born in 2004.

Allen’s age is a strong point of comparison for Badgers fans after his decorated college career. It can help contextualize Chourio’s record-setting breakout.

For further context on the Chourio’s headline-grabbing 2024 season, he’s actually 51 days younger than the former Badger running back, that note courtesy of @JaymesL on X.

Chourio recently signed an 8-year, $82 million extension with the Brewers in April. The club gave him the deal on April 4, 2024 — only five games into his professional career. That vote of confidence has already begun to pay off with his play this season.

Allen’s professional career, meanwhile, is beginning outside the state of Wisconsin, so he’ll no longer command the same headlines as when he was rushing for 1,200-plus yards with the Badgers. But his age can still serve as a benchmark for topics like this one — when another team in the state has a young player in the midst of a breakout.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion. 

Saints’ Tyrann Mathieu named a ‘player to root for’ in 2024

New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu was named a ‘player to root for’ in 2024 by NFL Media. The hometown hero has plenty of fans:

2024 is a big year for Tyrann Mathieu. The veteran safety has been everything the New Orleans Saints hoped for when they signed him, rarely missing a snap while leading Dennis Allen’s defense with seven interceptions through two years with his hometown team. He’s an important leader in the locker room, someone teammates flock to looking for advice.

For those reasons and more he’s an easy player to root for, at least according to NFL Media’s Dan Parr. Parr highlighted one player to cheer on each NFC team, and he says Mathieu fits the bill:

Let’s not sleep on the Badger’s abilities, OK? I know he’s heading into his age-32 season, but he remains one of the best players at his position and should be getting more recognition for it. Mathieu was left off the Pro Bowl roster last season, but he led all safeties with a targeted EPA of -37 (expected points added allowed when the player was targeted as the nearest defender), per Next Gen Stats. That metric is one way to look at how a player affects the offense’s scoring potential, and as you can see, Mathieu is very good at wiping out the hopes of the team lining up across from him. He’s also one of only two players who have recorded three or more interceptions in each season since 2017, alongside Justin Simmons. I’m rooting for Tyrann to get the flowers he deserves in 2024, and I appreciate that he doesn’t take his opportunities for granted.  

It’s been impressive to see Mathieu playing so well this late into his career. He’s going into Year 12 in the NFL and turned 32 in May, having signed an extension with the Saints this spring. There’s a good chance he’ll play out the rest of his career in front of his hometown.

And the Saints are counting on him. We weren’t being hyperbolic about his snap counts; in 2022, he was on the field for all 1,129 snaps the team played on defense. In 2023 he was in the lineup for 1,097 of their 1,107 snaps played. He’s an every-down defender in every sense of the phrase.

Mathieu is one of several keystone veterans the Saints are leaning on defensively. Demario Davis (35 years old in Year 13) patrols the middle of the field at linebacker, while Cameron Jordan (who turns 35 in a few weeks, in Year 14) is the leader of the defensive line. At some point younger teammates must step up and lessen the load on their shoulders. For now, though, we’re anxious to see just how far Mathieu can take his career.

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Golf instruction: Combat your hip pain with this small adjustment

There is nothing worse than being uncomfortable while doing what you love to do.

There is nothing worse than being uncomfortable while doing what you love to do. This week we are talking about hip pain, and how to alleviate some of that pressure while playing golf.

This week, Golfweek’s fitness guru and long driver Averee Dovsek demonstrates how to adjust your foot placement in your set-up to combat and relieve some of that stubborn hip pain.

We recommend seeking a professional medical opinion to see if this fix is right for you.

If you’re interested in any of Averee’s fitness content, click here.

If you’re looking for more instruction, click here.

Saints’ offensive line experiencing a youth movement in 2024

The New Orleans Saints new scheme prioritizes offensive line’s athleticism. This shift coincides with a drop in the unit’s average age:

The New Orleans Saints offensive line is going through a youth movement. By their scheme, it is necessary. Trevor Penning highlighted Klint Kubiak’s wide zone scheme for utilizing the athleticism of the offensive line. That change of direction has also coincided with the unit getting much younger. Not every change can be tied scheme, but it does feel like an intentional shift.

Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz are the only returning starters from last season. Trevor Penning is excluded because he spent most of the season on the bench. The offensive line’s average age drops from 28.2 to 24.6 years old. Even if Shane Lemieux starts at left guard ahead of Nick Saldiveri, the average age only rises to 25.2, which would still be a 3-year drop from last year’s average age.

James Hurst was the oldest player on the line last year, and he simply didn’t fit the new offensive scheme Kubiak is installing. He was the one player who needed to be replaced. New Orleans has always valued athleticism, so the pieces were already there. Of the new starters, first round pick Taliese Fuaga is the only one who wasn’t on the roster in 2023. His experience in a similar scheme, however, may provide one of the smoother transitions to Kubiak’s offense.

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WATCH: Braelon Allen’s age is at the center of another viral moment, this with Jets QB Aaron Rodgers

WATCH: Braelon Allen’s age is at the center of another viral moment, this with Aaron Rodgers

Former Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen’s age is in the news again. For once, it isn’t about him being the Badgers’ leading rusher and best offensive player as a 17-year-old freshman.

This time, it has to do with his New York Jets teammate Aaron Rodgers. Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams was meeting with the media on Wednesday and realized that Rodgers was entering the 20th year of his NFL career (2005-2024).

Related: Which Big Ten football team has the toughest 2024 schedule?

His response: “20 years..Aaron [Rodgers] has done 20 years in the NFL?” Williams remarked. Ain’t our running back, the number 0, 20 years old? So [Rodgers] has been in the NFL longer than he’s been alive? That’s crazy.”

As mentioned, number 0 on the Jets is former Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen.

“I have to joke with him about that,” Williams concluded — likely talking about Rodgers and his veteran age.

Allen was selected by the Jets No. 134 overall in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft. He makes the leap to the professional level after three exceptional years with the Badgers, seasons which included 3,494 yards and 35 touchdowns. Allen’s college career ended with him at No. 9 on Wisconsin’s all-time rushing yards leaderboard.

He joins a Jets backfield led by former Iowa State running back Breece Hall. Allen should find an immediate role in short-yardage situations and as Hall’s primary backup.

And yes, he will be playing with a 40-year-old quarterback who has been in the NFL since the year after Allen was born.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

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