Staying power: Longest tenures with one team in NFL history

Bakken's 234 games are by far the most with a St. Louis franchise. He kicked with the Cardinals for 17 seasons, from 1962-78. While only two of those ended in the playoffs, Bakken landed on both the 1960s and 1970s All-Decade teams. The four-time Pro Bowler's seven field goals in a 1967 game were an NFL record for 40 years; Bakken held that record by himself for 22 seasons. The former seventh-round pick played only for the Cards in his career.

Traded to the Broncos after a high-stakes power play with the Colts, 1983's No. 1 overall pick matched Bakken with 234 regular-season games. Elway split time with Steve DeBerg as a rookie, with DeBerg starting Denver's first-round playoff game in 1983, but Elway became the greatest player in Broncos history over the next 15 seasons. Arguably the game's top QB talent, Elway led the Broncos to five Super Bowls, then a quarterback record. He is the only Hall of Famer from Denver's Super Bowl XXI and XXII squads. Rather than attempt to lead the Broncos to a third straight title, Elway retired at 38. The Broncos went 6-10 in 1999. 

Elway's teammate for six seasons holds the record for most games as a Bronco with 236. Elam spearheaded Denver's special teams from 1993-2007. He kicked for each of the Broncos' first two Super Bowl champion squads, made three Pro Bowls and became the second player in NFL history to make a 63-yard field goal. Elam tied Tom Dempsey's NFL record in a 1998 home game, aided by Denver's altitude -- just as Matt Prater was when he broke this record in 2013. Elam's 51-yarder in Super Bowl XXXII remains the second-longest field goal in Super Bowl history. He played two seasons with the Falcons before retiring. 

One of the NFL's great success stories, Gates went from Kent State basketball player to undrafted free agent to playing 236 Chargers games from 2003-18. The likely first-ballot Hall of Famer helped both Drew Brees begin his ascent and became Philip Rivers' top red-zone weapon for over a decade. Gates' 116 touchdown receptions are the most in NFL history by a tight end. He made eight straight Pro Bowls and provided the bridge between Tony Gonzalez and Rob Gronkowski as the NFL's premier tight end.

Joining Gates with 236 regular-season appearances, Manning played in 20 more games than anyone in the Giants' 95-year history. Taking over for Kurt Warner midway through his 2004 rookie season, Manning backed up his bold predraft move by leading the Giants to their third and fourth Super Bowl championships. The oft-criticized passer's degree of difficulty in two playoff runs takes a backseat to no Super Bowl-winning quarterback. Ben McAdoo stopped Manning's start streak at 210 (third-most ever among QBs), but the younger Manning reclaimed his job and never missed a start due to injury before retiring in January.

The list's first long snapper; there will be more. Ladouceur has snapped in 237 games for the Cowboys, serving in this niche role since 2005. Deep snappers' minimal responsibilities can allow the most skilled of these specialists to have lengthy careers. The 38-year-old ex-undrafted player out of Cal made the 2014 Pro Bowl. He does not have a contract for 2020 but has served in his role for four Cowboys coaches, dating back to Bill Parcells.

The legendary wide receiver's career total ended at 303 games — 33 more than any other skill-position player. Only 238 came with the 49ers, who parted ways with Rice after the 2000 season. Rice logged 16 of his 20 seasons in San Francisco, crafting one of the highest peaks in American sports history. Only Rice and ex-Raiders center Jim Otto made 10 All-Pro first teams, with most of Otto's such honors coming when the AFL had its own All-Pro team. Despite this era's friendlier pass-catching rules, Rice's 22,895 receiving yards lead all players by nearly 6,000. His 208 TDs are 88 more than any active player.

The Chiefs punter in Super Bowl LIV is also the 60-year-old franchise's all-time games-played leader. Colquitt broke Will Shields' record for most games played by a Chief in 2019; he will enter the 2020 season with 238. Mr. Irrelevant in 2005, the second member of the Colquitt punting dynasty — entering the NFL after dad Craig and before brother Britton — Dustin has two Pro Bowls and this year extended the Colquitts to four Super Bowl championships. 

One of the many Vikings who enjoyed long tenures in Minnesota during the franchise's heyday in the 1960s and '70s, Tingelhoff joined Ron Yary in anchoring Fran Tarkenton's and Joe Kapp's offensive lines. The Vikings found Tingelhoff as an undrafted free agent out of Nebraska in 1962, and he displayed amazing durability over a 17-year stretch. The Vikings made Tingelhoff their starting center on Day 1; he never missed a game, playing 240 straight until the end of the 1978 season. The Hall of Famer made six straight Pro Bowls in the '60s and started in each of Minnesota's four Super Bowl appearances. 

"Mr. Raider" began his tenure with seven seasons in Los Angeles, and the run continued through nine Oakland years. Brown's 16-season Raider run spanned 240 regular-season games. He played with Bo Jackson and was still around in 2002 when Jerry Rice joined up, helping the Raiders form a legendary wideout duo — among other notable veterans — that drove the team to Super Bowl XXXVII. It curiously took the Raiders five years to turn the 1988 No. 6 overall pick from returner to full-time receiver, but Brown's 14,934 yards and 100 touchdowns are miles ahead of everyone else in team history.

One of the players Brown faced off against in Super Bowl XXXVII spent even longer with his franchise (and was Brown's brief teammate during his 2004 Tampa cameo). Barber played 241 games with the Buccaneers, the 1997 third-round pick lasting six seasons longer than twin brother Tiki. The Bucs did not turn to Ronde as a full-time cornerback until his third season, but he was a mainstay in their secondary until 2012. Barber joined Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks and John Lynch as the staples of Tampa Bay's dominant defenses in the late '90s and early aughts and played longer than each.

Patrick Mahomes' primary competition for best start to a quarterback career, Marino broke the NFL single-season touchdown pass record by 12 in his second season (1984) and remained with the Dolphins through the 1999 season. He outlasted his Class of 1983 quarterback brethren, playing one year longer than John Elway and starting 242 games. The Dolphins benefited from numerous teams passing on the Pitt product in 1983 and were able to land Marino at No. 27. A superstar with a lightning-quick release, Marino retired with every significant career and single-season passing record. 

Long snapper No. 2. The Lions have used the 38-year-old Muhlbach as their deep snapper since the 2004 season when they signed him as a free agent. Muhlbach has earned two Pro Bowl invites and is the game's longest-tenured current long snapper, while the Texas A&M product's 244 games double as the second-most in the Lions franchise's 91-year history.

The Falcons have two offensive linemen on this list. The elder of the two, Van Note, played 18 seasons (1969-86). Then in their fourth year of existence, the Falcons used an 11th-round pick to select Van Note out of Kentucky and moved him from the D-line to his center spot as a rookie. He was a full-time starter from 1970-85, breaking with Atlanta's first unit through his age-39 season. Van Note earned six Pro Bowl honors and snapped to 14 quarterbacks during his 245 regular-season games. Prior to his final game in 1986, the Falcons presented No. 57 with a '57 Chevy.

Long snapper No. 3. Here is the second-longest-tenured long snapper in NFL history. Unlike his brethren on this list, Mannelly was drafted. The Bears selected him in the 1998 sixth round out of Duke, and his 245 games are a whopping 54 more than anyone else in the Bears/Decatur Staleys' 100-year history. Mannelly came back from a 2011 ACL tear to play two more seasons, lasting from the Bears' Dave Wannstedt-Erik Kramer era to their Marc Trestman-Jay Cutler years.

Another player on this list redirected Leahy's path. Jim Bakken beat out Leahy for the St. Louis Cardinals' kicker job in 1973 and '74, but Leahy managed to do well for himself elsewhere despite not playing college football. A soccer player at St. Louis University, Leahy caught on with the Jets later in 1974 and was their kicker until 1991. Leahy played 250 games for the Jets and never played for another team. An All-Pro in 1978, Leahy retired as the NFL's third all-time leading scorer. He did not kick in the Jets' wild-card loss in 1991, and a nerve issue forced him to retire at 41 — before the 1992 season.

Fitz is set to add to his 250-game total, having re-signed with the Cardinals on a one-year deal to play the 2020 season in Arizona. The 36-year-old wide receiver has already played more games with one team than any wideout in NFL history. The face of Arizona sports, Fitzgerald came into the league before Kurt Warner's Cardinals tenure and outlasted Carson Palmer. His 2019 season helped him pass Tony Gonzalez for second place on the all-time receptions list; he had already eclipsed Terrell Owens on the yardage list (with 17,083). The former top-five pick will stay on to help further Kyler Murray's development.

Kenn and Van Note played together for nine seasons, from 1978-86. The younger offensive lineman could not quite match his ex-teammate's 18-year Falcons run, but Kenn stayed healthier. He logged 17 seasons and played in a Falcons-most 251 games. A first-round pick out of Michigan in 1978, Kenn started as a rookie and remained in Atlanta's lineup at left tackle until the 1994 season. Kenn made five Pro Bowls and two All-Pro first teams. Ex-teammate-turned-head coach June Jones wanted him back for 1995, but Kenn retired after his age-38 season.

Were this a games-played list, Favre would be closer to the top. But he spent his final three years with the Jets and Vikings. He will forever be known as a Packer, however, after spending 16 seasons (255 games) in Green Bay. After a September 1992 injury to Don Majkowski, the Packers deployed their prized trade acquisition. Favre soon was MVP in three straight seasons (1995-97) — something no player can match — and by the late 2000s held every major career passing record. Although the gunslinging quarterback had a penchant for costly INTs, the Packers had just one losing season during Favre's iron-man run.

Witten plans to take his post-"Monday Night Football" playing career into Year 2 but has acknowledged it might require him changing teams. The 37-year-old tight end, however, set a record late in his first run as a Cowboy. Witten's 16-game 2019 season ran his games-played total to 255; that's the most in the Cowboys' 60-year history. With 16 games in 2020, Witten would pass Tony Gonzalez for the most games played by a tight end. Witten exited the '19 season with the fourth-most catches in NFL history.

We come to the longest-tenured long snapper in NFL history. Binn was still with the Chargers by their 2011 training camp. He'd began his Bolts career during their 1994 Super Bowl season and ended up playing in 256 games with the franchise. It does not look like Philip Rivers (228) will have an opportunity to close that gap. The Chargers signed Binn as an undrafted free agent in 1994, and he played until suffering a hamstring injury one game into the 2010 campaign. The Bolts cut him in 2011. While long snappers have a strict salary range, mastering this skill can be a good way to stay in professional sports.

Back when right tackles were permitted Pro Bowl travel arrangements, Slater outdid all of them in terms of longevity. He played 20 seasons with the Rams, starting his career as a third-round pick-turned-backup in 1976 and playing one game in St. Louis in 1995. Slater made seven Pro Bowls — the last of which at age 36 in 1990 — protected 24 quarterbacks and began his run as the L.A. Rams' starting right tackle during their 1979 Super Bowl XIV season. An injury limited Slater to seven games in Eric Dickerson's record-setting '84 season, but he played 259 in a Hall of Fame career.

Groza played 21 NFL seasons and enjoyed a unique career arc. Prior to a 1960 retirement that turned into a sabbatical, Groza was a perennial All-Pro left tackle for the Otto Graham- and then Jim Brown-powered teams of the 1950s. But when Groza returned, he tacked seven years as a kicker onto his NFL resume. "The Toe" led the NFL in accuracy percentage (69.6) in his first year as a kicker, in 1961, and finished his Browns career having played 268 games — most in franchise history by 36. 

The Raiders selecting Janikowski in the 2000 first round still draws scrutiny, but "Seabass" did play 17 seasons in silver and black and was in the NFL until his age-40 season. The hefty southpaw missed just four games from 2000-16 and set Raider kicking and games-played records, running the latter figure to 268 in Week 17 of the 2016 season. A Janikowski injury prevented him from kicking for the Raiders in 2017. Blessed with a legendary leg, Janikowski made a 63-yard field goal and once attempted a 76-yarder. The Raiders have used five kickers since Janikowski's finale. 

The indestructible member of the Purple People Eaters, Marshall played 20 seasons and missed zero games. The Browns traded him to the expansion Vikings in 1961, and he played in every 1970s game with Minnesota to end with 282 when he retired in after his age-42 season in 1979. A defensive end on a famed defensive line with Hall of Famers Alan Page and Carl Eller, Marshall helped the Vikings to four Super Bowls and 10 division titles. Marshall recorded two sacks in his final home game, before some much younger teammates carried him off the field. 

Will Brady have the chance to become the second player in NFL history to play 300 games with one team? The Patriot icon is sitting on 285 after 20 seasons with the team. In two of those slates — 2000 and 2008 — Brady saw action in just one game. The Deflategate suspension limited him to 12 regular-season contests in 2016. Brady has been on the field for most of the Patriots' other offensive snaps throughout the 21st century. No quarterback has played in more games with one team, and the six-time champion is attempting to voyage further into uncharted territory by starting as a non-specialist in an age-43 season. 

Beginning his career with the Browns, Stover was close to going into the Ravens' third decade as a member of the team. A Giants draftee in 1990, Stover began kicking for the Browns in '91 and was not only asked to stay with the team going to Baltimore in 1996, but he also outlasted every original Raven save for Ray Lewis by the time his run with the team ended. Stover missed one game in his 18-season tenure with Browns 1.0/Ravens and was an All-Pro during Baltimore's 2000 Super Bowl season. Stover technically played only 207 games with the Ravens, but when his Browns tenure is added, the number sits at 287.

A sublime athlete, Green remained not only an active cornerback for 20 NFL seasons but also continued to reside in the NFL's upper echelon of speed merchants into his 40s. The former NFL's Fastest Man champion — back when that competition existed — Green was a 1983 first-round pick. He lasted until 2002, past his 42nd birthday. With 295 games played (all with Washington), Green is on his own tier in terms of cornerback longevity. The two-time Super Bowl champion and seven-time Pro Bowler was a full-time starter until he was 39. 

In 18 of Matthews' 19 seasons, he played all 16 games for the Oilers and Titans. He predated Warren Moon's arrival and blocked for a 28-year-old Steve McNair. Matthews played full seasons at center, guard and tackle. He earned All-Pro acclaim at both interior-line positions and is the oldest offensive lineman, at 40, to make a Pro Bowl — which he did in his final season (2001). Matthews went 19 spots ahead of Green in the 1983 draft — No. 9 overall — and ended his career with 296 games played, one more than the Redskins corner. The first-ballot Hall of Famer is one of five players to be chosen for 14 Pro Bowls.

Hanson does not receive the notoriety some of his kicker peers do but has a substantial lead on the field in terms of tenure with one team. Hanson is the only player to play at least 300 games with one team, retiring after the 2012 season with 327 games as a Lion. Detroit drafted Hanson in the 1992 second round out of Washington State and had to make only one notable kicker transaction — in 2010, when Hanson missed eight games due to a knee injury — for two decades. Hanson was reliable through his age-42 final season, when he made 89% percent of his field goal tries, and joined Lou Groza as the only players to go 21 seasons with one franchise.