According to the analysts at Spotrac, the New Orleans Saints have the league’s second-oldest roster with an age of 27.15. Only the Aaron Rodgers-led New York Jets (28.22) are ranked lower, with the league average falling at 26.37.
And there’s the flaw in this kind of analysis. At the end of the day the gap between the Saints and the youngest team (the squad Rodgers just left, the Green Bay Packers) is just 1.79 years. Even the NFL’s least-experienced roster is still over 25 years old on average. There is little to no correlation between average age and team success. The last three Super Bowl winners have clocked in at wildly different numbers:
- 2022 Kansas City Chiefs: 26.08
- 2021 Los Angeles Rams: 25.94
- 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 27.07
It’s true that the Saints are counting on quality snaps from a lot of older, more-experienced players. Demario Davis and Cameron Jordan (both 34 years old) are going to play nearly every defensive snap. So will Tyrann Mathieu (31). Jimmy Graham (36) and Taysom Hill (33) will play lesser roles on offense, but Derek Carr (32) is taking over from Jameis Winston (29) at quarterback. Other key players who are 30 or older include James Hurst (31), Marcus Maye and Michael Thomas (both 30).
The good news is that some of the youngest players on the roster are also expected to play critical roles in the fall: rookies like Bryan Bresee and Kendre Miller (each 21), plus Chris Olave (23). Other young talents on the rise include Alontae Taylor, Trevor Penning, and Cesar Ruiz (all 24). If they can meet expectations and open the door for a larger youth movement next offseason, more the better. It’s easier to sustain success with young talent walking in the door.
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