List of NFL players who spent their entire career with one franchise

Lou Groza shares the record for most seasons with a single franchise at 21.

The National Football League is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world.

This list include the players have spent the most seasons in their entire NFL career with one franchise (minimum 15 seasons). Each player has played at least one game in fifteen different NFL seasons for a single NFL franchise. The seasons are not necessarily consecutive. Time playing on amateur teams or teams out of the NFL are not considered. A franchise may change its location and/or name, but players would be considered to be part of the same franchise.

Some notable players who have been disqualified from this list are Tom Brady (who spent his first 20 seasons playing for the New England Patriots before signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020), Sebastian Janikowski (who spent his first 18 seasons with the Oakland Raiders before signing with the Seattle Seahawks in 2018), Aaron Rodgers (who spent his first 18 seasons playing for the Green Bay Packers before being traded to the New York Jets in 2023 after a trade request), Johnny Unitas (who spent his first 17 Seasons with the Baltimore Colts before being traded to the San Diego Chargers in 1973), and Jerry Rice (who spent 16 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers before signing with the Oakland Raiders in 2001).

All-time list

Key

Note: This list is correct through the 2023 NFL season

^	Denotes player who is still active in the NFL
*	Denotes Pro Football Hall of Fame member

NFL players who have spent their career at one franchise

Player	Seasons	Career	Team	Position	Notes
Lou Groza*	21	1946–1959, 1961–1967	Cleveland Browns	K / OT
Jason Hanson	21	1992–2012	Detroit Lions	K
Darrell Green*	20	1983–2002	Washington Redskins	CB
Jackie Slater*	20	1976–1995	Los Angeles / St. Louis Rams	OT
Bruce Matthews*	19	1983–2001	Houston Oilers / Tennessee Titans	OL
Pat Leahy	18	1974–1991	New York Jets	K
Ben Roethlisberger	18	2004–2021	Pittsburgh Steelers	QB
Jeff Van Note	18	1969–1986	Atlanta Falcons	C
Julius Adams	17	1971–1987	New England Patriots	DL
Jim Bakken	17	1962–1978	St. Louis Cardinals	K / P
John Brodie	17	1957–1973	San Francisco 49ers	QB
Larry Fitzgerald	17	2004–2020	Arizona Cardinals	WR
Mike Kenn	17	1978–1994	Atlanta Falcons	OT
Ray Lewis*	17	1996–2012	Baltimore Ravens	LB
Dan Marino*	17	1983–1999	Miami Dolphins	QB
Don Muhlbach	17	2004–2020	Detroit Lions	LS
Mick Tingelhoff*	17	1962–1978	Minnesota Vikings	C
Ken Anderson	16	1971–1986	Cincinnati Bengals	QB
Ronde Barber*	16	1997–2012	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	DB
Sammy Baugh*	16	1937–1952	Washington Redskins	QB / DB / P
Elvin Bethea*	16	1968–1983	Houston Oilers	DE
Monte Coleman	16	1979–1994	Washington Redskins	LB
John Elway*	16	1983–1998	Denver Broncos	QB
Antonio Gates	16	2003–2018	San Diego / Los Angeles Chargers	TE
Steve Grogan	16	1975–1990	New England Patriots	QB
Jimmy Johnson*	16	1961–1976	San Francisco 49ers	CB
Patrick Mannelly	16	1998–2013	Chicago Bears	LS
Bart Starr*	16	1956–1971	Green Bay Packers	QB
Gene Hickerson*	16	1958–1960, 1962–1973	Cleveland Browns	G
Too Tall Jones	16	1974–1978, 1980–1989	Dallas Cowboys	DE
Sam Koch	16	2006–2021	Baltimore Ravens	P
L. P. Ladouceur	16	2005–2020	Dallas Cowboys	LS
Eli Manning	16	2004–2019	New York Giants	QB
Bill Bates	15	1983–1997	Dallas Cowboys	S
Troy Brown	15	1993–2007	New England Patriots	WR
Charlie Cowan	15	1961–1975	Los Angeles Rams	OT
Fred Cox	15	1963–1977	Minnesota Vikings	K
Dan Fouts*	15	1973–1987	San Diego Chargers	QB
Mel Hein*	15	1931–1945	New York Giants	C / DL
Charlie Krueger	15	1959–1973	San Francisco 49ers	DT
Joe Nash	15	1982–1996	Seattle Seahawks	DT
Ray Nitschke*	15	1958–1972	Green Bay Packers	LB
Merlin Olsen*	15	1962–1976	Los Angeles Rams	DT
Jim Otto*	15	1960–1974	Oakland Raiders	C
Randy Rasmussen	15	1967–1981	New York Jets	G
Ken Riley*	15	1969–1983	Cincinnati Bengals	CB
Len Rohde	15	1960–1974	San Francisco 49ers	OT
Joe Scibelli	15	1961–1975	Los Angeles Rams	OT / G
Art Shell*	15	1968–1982	Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders	OT
Matthew Slater	15	2008–2023	New England Patriots	WR
Michael Strahan*	15	1993–2007	New York Giants	DE
Mark Tuinei	15	1983–1997	Dallas Cowboys	OT
Gene Upshaw*	15	1967–1981	Oakland Raiders	G
Wayne Walker	15	1958–1972	Detroit Lions	LB / K
Russ Washington	15	1968–1982	San Diego Chargers	OT / DT
Roy Winston	15	1962–1976	Minnesota Vikings	LB
Brandon Graham^	15	2010–present	Philadelphia Eagles	DE

See also

• List of one-club men in association football
• List of one-club men in rugby league
• List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise
• List of NHL players who spent their entire career with one franchise
• List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise

References

Specific