Study Ranks Top NFL Players with Longevity, Championships, MVP: Blanda, Brady, Vinatieri, Andersen and Morrall #1-5
- The NFL player with the longest career is George Blanda. He played 26 seasons, from 1949 to 1975.
- Almost half of the NFL players with the longest careers have not suffered serious injuries during their games.
- Tom Brady is the most successful NFL player in history, with 3 Most Valuable Player (MVP) titles and 7 championships.
SlotsUp analyzed the 30 players with the longest NFL careers to identify their success (MVP’s and championships) and injuries throughout their professional runs in football.
Here is the final ranking.
| Player | Seasons | Years | Injuries | MVP-s | Amount of championships won | Composite score |
| George Blanda | 26 | 1949-1975 | Knee injuries | 1 | 3 | 14 |
| Tom Brady | 22 | 2000-2022 | Torn ACL and MCL | 3 | 7 | 13.5 |
| Adam Vinatieri | 24 | 1996-2019 | Knee injury | 0 | 4 | 13 |
| Morten Andersen | 25 | 1982-2007 | Knee injury | 0 | 0 | 12.5 |
| Earl Morrall | 21 | 1956-1976 | Torn Achilles tendon | 1 | 4 | 11.75 |
| John Carney | 23 | 1988-2010 | Minor injuries | 0 | 0 | 11.5 |
| Gary Anderson | 23 | 1982-2004 | Minor injuries | 0 | 0 | 11.5 |
| Lou Groza | 21 | 1946-1967 | Back injury | 0 | 4 | 11.5 |
| Jeff Feagles | 22 | 1988-2009 | Minor injuries | 0 | 1 | 11.25 |
| Brett Favre | 20 | 1991-2010 | Minor injuries | 3 | 1 | 11 |
George Blanda is the NFL player with the longest career. He has a score of 14. He played 26 seasons from 1949 to 1975, earning 1 MVP award and winning 3 championships. Blanda was one of the few players who had their professional career before and after the Super Bowl era.
Tom Brady takes second place with a score of 13.5. With a career spanning 22 seasons from 2000 to 2022, he is arguably the most successful NFL player in history. Brady has won 3 MVP awards and 7 championships. His shorter length of his career compared to Blanda makes him the second pick in the ranking.
Adam Vinatieri takes third place with a score of 13. Despite having the most common injury in football (a knee injury) which can be career ending, he played 24 seasons from 1996 to 2019, winning 4 championships.
Morten Andersen takes fourth place with a score of 12.5. Having a 25-season career from 1982 to 2007, Andersen did not win any MVP’s or championships. His long career earns his spot in the list.
Earl Morrall takes fifth place with a score of 11.75. He played for 21 seasons from 1956 to 1976.Having suffered a torn Achilles tendon, he managed to win 4 NFL championships and receive one MVP title.
John Carney, Gary Anderson and Lou Groza share sixth place with a score of 11.50.
Carney and Anderson played 23 seasons in the NFL. Compared to Morrall, they left the NFL with no major injuries, but neither Carney nor Anderson didn’t manage to win any MVP’s or Championships.
Lou Groza, sharing the sixth spot with Carney and Anderson, is the most successful of the trio. Despite suffering a back injury, he won 4 championships, while having less time in the NFL than Carney and Anderson.
Jeff Feagles takes seventh place with a score of 11.25. With a 22-season career from 1988 to 2009, he won 1 championship, without getting any major injuries.
Brett Favre takes tenth place with a score of 11. Having a 20-season career from 1991 to 2010, he was a more successful player than Feagles, with one championship and three MVP titles, with less time in the league.
An expert from SlotsUp – Matt Grover commented on the report. “This study goes to show that having more experience is not enough to succeed in the NFL. In the example of Tom Brady and Blanda, their experience gap is large, but their success gap is larger.”
Story credit to SlotsUp
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
