San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams and others are proving that age is just a number.
The 49ers signed Williams, who turns 38 on July 19, to a two-year, $50M contract extension on Monday. It’s a smart move for the 49ers to retain one of the top O-linemen in the league. Last season, the 2010 No. 4 pick made his 12th Pro Bowl and earned a second-team All-Pro nod.
That got us thinking, who are the other ageless wonders in the NFL? After careful consideration, we’ve narrowed down our list to five players who are 35 and older. With that in mind, here are five stars, starting with Williams, who are aging gracefully:
San Francisco 49ers OT Trent Williams
Williams earned three straight first-team All-Pro nods from 2021-23. After a left ankle issue limited him to 10 games in 2024, the OT rebounded in 2025. Sports Info Solutions credited him with three sacks allowed, his third-lowest mark since the site began tracking this stat in 2015.
Despite questions about his age delaying the transaction, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan remained confident they would re-sign Williams throughout the negotiation process.
“We love Trent too much, and that’ll eventually work out,” the coach said on March 23.
Shanahan loves that Williams provides elite pass protection. The 49ers tied for the fifth-fewest sacks (27) allowed in the league last season. The elite O-lineman should continue to ensure 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy remains upright for most of the 2026 season.
Heyward, who turns 37 on May 6, earned a 2025 second-team All-Pro nod after logging 78 tackles in 17 games, the third most in his career. He has now had 71 tackles or more in three of the past four seasons.
Former Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin dubbed Heyward — who has played 228 regular-season games in 15 seasons with Pittsburgh — as a “unicorn” when discussing his longevity in November 2025.
“He’s almost like a 24-year-old, new guy in the building. He really enjoys football,” Austin said (h/t Steelers correspondent Jim Wexell). “It’s really a testament to him and what he’s put into the game and that he’s able to reach those heights and play as long as he has and still play as well as he has.”
Heyward’s continued passion for football should make the Steelers feel even better about signing him to a two-year, $32.25M contract extension in March.
Davis, 37, recorded a career-high 143 tackles in 17 games with the New Orleans Saints in 2025 and was one of the team’s more accomplished players during his eight-year tenure in The Big Easy. He earned four second-team All-Pro nods from 2020-23 and a first-team All-Pro selection in 2019.
The Jets reunited with Davis — who previously played for the team from 2012-15 and in 2017 — this offseason, signing him to a two-year, $22M contract.
Davis said it was a “no-brainer” to rejoin the Jets, and New York should be saying the same about grabbing him in free agency. The two-time Pro Bowl LB will help stabilize a unit that ranked second to last in the NFL in points allowed last season (29.6 points per game).
A left foot injury limited Johnson, who turns 36 on May 8, to 10 games in 2025. When healthy, however, he remained an effective blocker. Pro Football Focus gave him a solid 77.4 offensive grade.
Johnson is returning to the Eagles next season. The injury raises concerns about whether he may be nearing the end of his career, but Philadelphia should remain optimistic that he’ll rebound in 2026.
He earned second-team All-Pro selections in 2023 and 2024 and first-team All-Pro honors in 2022. Johnson has also played in 10 games or fewer just three times in his 13-year career.
LB Bobby Wagner
The Washington Commanders haven’t re-signed Wagner, who turns 36 on June 27. Head coach Dan Quinn, however, hasn’t ruled out a return, and it’s easy to see why. One-time Super Bowl champion Wagner ranked fifth in the NFL in tackles (162 in 17 games) in 2025.
If Washington doesn’t pick Wagner up, another team should. The six-time first-team All-Pro remains consistent, logging 140 tackles or more in three of his past four seasons.