NFL Analysis

11/1/24

10 min read

Ranking NFL's 10 Most Durable Players In History

By Ian Valentino

NFL/NFL Draft Analyst
Jan 31, 1993; Pasadena, CA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Dallas Cowboys running back (22) EMMITT SMITH in action against the Buffalo Bills during Super Bowl XXVII at the Rose Bowl. Smith ran for 108 yards and 1 touchdown. The Cowboys defeated the Bills 52-17. Mandatory Credit: Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY NETWORK SUPER BOWL XXVII

Becoming an NFL player requires more skills, dedication, and work ethic than most humans can comprehend. The physical workload on one's body is impressive, and so are the numerous soft skills and innate awareness necessary to thrive. However, durability is the most valuable thing a player can offer a team when all else is equal.

We're not just talking toughness because the NFL's rich history is loaded with men who put their own health at risk for the sake of the game. Those players also need commending, but the individuals who could stay on the field through the pain are an even more elite group. 

Durability can be defined as the accomplishment of playing long-term. While every position requires some level of physicality, the pain endured from certain spots is worse than others. Considering snap and game streaks, total games played, injuries suffered, and overall longevity, we've identified the most durable players in NFL history. 

Most Durable Players in NFL History

Admittedly, there are so many impressive resumes from the NFL's past that we had to make sure these men were named.

Honorable Mention

  • Darrell Green, CB
  • Frank Gore, RB
  • Brandon Carr, CB
  • Tony Witten, TE
  • Tony Gonzalez, TE
  • Eli Manning, QB
  • Julius Peppers, DE
  • Derrick Brooks, LB

10. London Fletcher, LB

NFL Seasons: 16

Games Played: 256

Games Missed: 0

Playing 16 years at linebacker and never missing a single game is notable, even for a defender who might have been a subpackage player. But never missing a contest over that long while being one of the NFL's most productive linebackers is special. London Fletcher, who amassed 14 seasons with at least 111 tackles, never came off the field despite the constant impact of offensive players.

Spending time with the Rams, Bills, and Commanders, Fletcher defined what being a true middle linebacker meant. He was never the most well-known or flashy player, but Fletcher was an unheralded playmaker. It's an ode to how deep the NFL was with linebackers at the time that he finished his career with only four Pro Bowls,

Consider how the 5-foot-10, 242-pounder had 2,039 tackles, 23 interceptions, and 39 sacks over his career. He was more than just a downhill hammer against the run, making him one of the most accomplished and durable linebackers in NFL history. 

9. Peyton Manning, QB

NFL Seasons: 17

Games Played: 266

Games Missed: 22 

Ranking fourth all-time with 9,380 passing attempts, Peyton Manning was the closest thing to a robot we've seen in the NFL. His mechanics were as reliable as a quartz watch, and Manning never missed a game through his first 13 seasons. Only a career-threatening neck injury derailed his 208-start streak and Indianapolis Colts career.

Denver quickly added Manning in free agency, and Manning went on to have three excellent seasons and a forgettable fourth before retiring. Winning another Super Bowl and lighting the NFL on fire in his late 30s, Manning played until a bad thigh tear and plantar fascia caused him to be in and out of Denver's lineup in the second half of 2015. 

The Ironman clearly was not the same in his final season, but his miraculous return from a spinal fusion and four surgeries solidified his historic toughness and durability.  

8. Tom Brady, QB

NFL Seasons: 23

Games Played: 335

Games Missed: 19

No one except kickers and punters has played in more games than Tom Brady. There's no real limit when it comes to reading off Brady's resume, as the greatest winner of all time shredded every NFL record during the course of his career. He would've had even better numbers if he hadn't been suspended for four games in 2016 due to Deflategate, and a torn ACL in 2008 forced him to miss 15 games.

Brady had endured several key injuries throughout his career, but opponents couldn't keep him off the field for long. He played much of the 2010 season with a stress fracture in his foot, and it's possible he had the injury even in 2008. He played through it until getting surgery in January 2011.

He suffered a lacerated hand, MCL tear, elbow sprain, leg strain, and ankle sprain at various points in his career, but only the torn ACL kept him out. Only one quarterback who endured more continued to be on the field at a higher rate, but that wouldn't have been the case if not for the major knee injury in Week 1 of the 2008 season.

7. Reggie White, DE

NFL Seasons: 15

Games Played: 232

Games Missed: 7 (3 due to strike in 1987)

The greatest defensive player of all time had an unbelievable run. Ranking No. 2 in sacks all-time, White missed only four games due to injury. Three of those came in his rookie season due to a back injury; the last was in 1995 after a considerable hamstring tear that he fought through.

Playing through a torn hamstring is unfathomable, but White's entire career was mind-bending. He reached at least 10 sacks in 12 of his 15 seasons, then returned in 2000 after retiring to produce 5.5 sacks at 39 years old. Don't overlook that White also spent two seasons in the USFL before coming to the NFL, so he would've been far and away the all-time leader in sacks had he entered straight from Tennessee. 

6. Jerry Rice, WR

NFL Seasons: 21

Games Played: 303

Games Missed: 17 (3 due to strike in 1987)

The greatest wide receiver of all time had the longevity, reliability, and toughness needed to set unbreakable NFL records. Playing for an incredible 21 seasons, the only games Rice missed for injury reasons from 1985 until retiring after 2004 came in 1997. A torn ACL and MCL in Week 1 forced him off the field, minus one game in Week 15, where he caught a touchdown before exiting the game. 

Only Brady has played in more games than Rice, and no one will ever match the former 49ers and Raiders star's production. He played until he was 42, producing a respectable 11-game stretch with Seattle after being traded at the deadline. 

Totaling 13 Pro Bowls, 10 All-Pros, three Super Bowls, and nine seasons leading the league in either catches, yards, or touchdowns, Rice captured the imagination of receivers as to what was possible.  

5. Joe Thomas, OT

NFL Seasons: 11

Games Played: 167

Games Missed: 10 (all in 2017)

For more than 10 seasons, Joe Thomas did not miss a single snap for the Cleveland Browns. He set an NFL record with 10,363 snaps played in a row and did so at one of the game's most demanding positions. The Hall of Famer and 10-time Pro Bowler only missed a snap when he suffered a season and career-ending triceps injury in 2017.

While Thomas fully recovered by the spring of the following year, he had already decided to retire at 33. The six-time All-Pro was as steady as blockers come but was often overlooked as the Browns toiled with miserable rosters for most of his career. He most notably played through a wrist injury, three MCL sprains, and two high-ankle sprains. 

4. Jim Marshall, DE

NFL Seasons: 20

Games Played: 282

Games Missed: 0

We turn back the clock a little bit by including Jim Marshall, who played in every single game throughout his 20-year career. After spending his first season in Cleveland, Marshall made a permanent home with Minnesota, where he totaled 128 sacks in 19 years. In total, he had 270 consecutive starts during the 1960s and 1970s.

A two-time Pro Bowler and one-time Super Bowl champion, Marshall was a pillar of consistency. Not only was he problematic because he was so resilient, but the 6-foot-6, 248-pounder could overtake games. He racked up at least seven sacks in 11 seasons, including four with at least 10 finishes.

Only six non-specialists in NFL history played more games than Marshall did. 

3. Emmitt Smith, RB

NFL Seasons: 15

Games Played: 226

Games Missed: 14 (2 due to holdout in 1993)

The NFL's all-time leading rusher was undeniably the most durable back of all time, and that's probably not a coincidence. However, Emmitt Smith's counting stats are so impressive because he overcame a workload that has repeatedly derailed other playmakers. For example, Smith carried the ball at least 319 times in seven of his first 10 years, including leading the league three times. 

Only as Smith entered his 30s did his production finally take a noticeable dive. Even then, Smith had 975 yards at 33 and 937 yards in his final season at 35. He wasn't efficient, as Dallas' vaunted offensive line was long gone, and Arizona's unit was one of the worst in the league, but what other NFL attacks could rely on a back Smith's age?

Smith had 4,409 rushing attempts, 571 more than Walter Payton at No. 2, and about two season's worth of carries. He's also 16,29 yards and 19 touchdowns ahead of anyone else. With only 12 games missed due to rest and injuries, Smith's records are some of the safest in the sport.

2. Brett Favre, QB

NFL Seasons: 20

Games Played: 302

Games Missed: 3 (all in 2010)

Playing football like a bunch of kids in the backyard was enough to land plenty of quarterbacks on injured reserve throughout the NFL's lifespan. However, Brett Favre kept coming back onto the field even after the most violent hits. The 11-time Pro Bowler and 3-time MVP set an NFL record with 297 consecutive starts that began in 1992 and lasted until 2010.

The NFL's all-time leader in interceptions was as likely to produce game-changing throws as he was to make a game-altering mistake, especially as he reached his mid-30s and into his early 40s, but durability was never a concern. Finally, Favre's streak ended in his final year as a sprained throwing shoulder forced him off the field. Two weeks later, a concussion ended his career once and for all.

Favre had overcome plenty of other cuts, strains, and more throughout his career. He said he suffered more concussions than he could count. Plus, he had played through broken bones in his thumb, leg, foot, sprained ligaments, groin pulls, and an injured ulnar nerve in his throwing elbow. 

Lots can be said about Favre, but his durability can never be questioned.   

1. Bruce Matthews, OL

NFL Seasons: 19

Games Played: 296

Games Missed: 7 (all due to strike in 1987)

Undoubtedly one of the NFL's greatest blockers, the only thing that could match Bruce Matthews' versatility was his durability. An All-Pro-level at tackle, guard, and center, Matthews set the NFL record with 296 games played for a position player when he retired. 229 of those starts were consecutive, and the only reason it was ever interrupted was due to the 1987 strike. 

From 1988 until his final season in 2001, he registered 14 straight Pro Bowls, defining the Houston Oilers and Tennessee Titans until the torch was passed to Eddie George and Steve McNair.

Even to this day, only three players have registered more games than Matthews, and no one in the league is anywhere close to reaching his mark. 

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Tags: Brett Favre, Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice See More

Ian Valentino

NFL/NFL Draft Analyst

Ian Valentino is an NFL and NFL draft contributor for The 33rd Team. He has covered all aspects of the NFL since 2013. He's previously provided scouting services to the NFL, XFL and CFL. He also has written for Bleacher Report, Complex Sports and Pro Football Network.

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