49ers Line Up Second Oldest Roster in NFL for 2021

With the NFL rosters ready for 2021, the 49ers are set to line up with the second-oldest players in the league.

In a sport where age is not just a number, the average age of the 49ers has raised a few eyebrows. 

The Houston Texans are rock bottom of the table with an average age of 26.37, but the San Francisco 49ers are just a shade younger at 26.33 years. Does this higher aggregate age put the 49ers lower down in the NFL betting?

In some sports, a player's age barely matters, but that's not the case in the NFL. The typical playing career of an NFL player is just 3.3 years long, leaving teams looking to sign them up as young as possible.

The main reason for the brevity of an NFL playing career is injuries, but wear and tear is also a significant factor. Playing the NFL takes a physical toll on the body, which means that it's not viable to continue for more than a few years. 

However, the length of an NFL career also depends on the position. A quarterback can expect to play for a maximum of three years, while a wide receiver typically plays for no more than two years. An offensive lineman lasts slightly longer, playing for three and a half years on average. 

Of course, there are some players such as Drew Brees or Tom Brady whose careers seem to go on forever, but these are the exception rather than the rule.

The 49ers are more or less at the bottom of the league with a roster that works out to be an average of 26.33 years. 

At the opposite end of the table are the LA Rams, with an average age of 24.62 years. The difference may be less than two years, but when you consider the typical career length of a player, it becomes clear why the age of the 49ers is causing concern.

Going into 2021, there are ten teams that have an average age of less than 25 years. There are just five teams with an average age over 26 years: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans and the 49ers. 

Although it sounds high, the average of the 49ers is being bumped up by several elder statesmen on the roster. This includes 38-year-old kicker Robbie Gould, backup quarterback Johnson (35) and centre Alex Mack (35).

While there's no doubt that most teams prefer to load up with younger players to try and avoid an injury list that's stacked sky-high, there's nothing to say that you can't win with older pros. 

43-year-old Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked up the Super Bowl LV, proving that experience has its own advantages.

The proviso of this is forward planning. If a team is loaded with older players, they need to ensure they have planned ahead and have secured young prospects who will be able to step up. This happens in the NBA regularly, where players are brought in at a young age with the idea to develop them at pro stage much more quickly. 

In this year's draft, the 49ers nabbed Trey Lance, a 20-year-old quarterback who shows real promise. The youngster is expected to step into the shoes of current quarterback Jimmy Garappolo (30) next year. If that happens, the combined age of the 49ers for 2022 will already be significantly lower.