Packers’ Preston Smith a Rarity on NFL’s Youngest Roster

The Green Bay Packers have by far the fewest players ages 30-plus on their offseason roster. Preston Smith is the only one, still going strong at 31.

Preston Smith runs off the field after the Green Bay Packers beat the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

GREEN BAY, Wis. – On what might wind up being the NFL’s youngest roster again, Green Bay Packers defensive end Preston Smith is the outlier.

At age 31, Smith is the only player on the roster who is 30-plus years old.

“Besides y’all keep on reminding me I’m in my 30s, I don’t really think about it much,” Smith said at the end of minicamp, “but now that I’m talking to y’all, now I’m just starting to feel old. I wasn’t feeling old at first. I was thinking about it, but I wasn’t really thinking about it until y’all keep on reminding me.

“I really be thinking I’m 29 and 28 sometimes. I feel like I’m aging backwards, but when y’all keep reminding me I’m in my 30s, I start to really feel old. But I feel good, personally.”

Smith, who likes his fit in the new scheme, should feel good. As should the Packers. He is coming off seasons of 9.0 sacks in 2021, 8.5 sacks in 2022 and 8.0 sacks in 2023. He is one of only 11 players with eight-plus sacks each of the last three seasons, and the first Packers player to do it since Aaron Kampman in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Smith added another 1.5 sacks in the two playoff games. His 21 quarterback hits in the regular season tied for second-best of his career.

The Packers and Smith agreed to a revised contract this offseason so Smith could spend his 10th NFL season in Green Bay.

“It’s always the goal of mine to make Year 10 and, now that I’m here, it’s always a goal to just keep on chopping,” Smith said. “Keep on chopping at the wood and making sure that I keep on doing what it takes to stay here and I keep on doing what it takes to reach my own personal goals and to make sure that – because I’m so close to a lot of them – and I got so many opportunities and I still feel like I got so much ball left in me.

“I feel like I got a lot of gas left in the tank and I still have an opportunity to make big plays and play for a long time in this league.”

Smith, who will turn 32 in Chicago when the Packers visit the Bears on Nov. 17, has 66 career sacks. On the official list, Smith and Ezra Johnson are tied for sixth in franchise history with 41.5 sacks. Unofficially, he’s tied with Mike Butler for 11th.

Amazingly, Smith missed only one game in his first nine NFL seasons. With the Packers, he has played in 82 of a possible 83 games. Since missing a game against his former team, the Washington Commanders, in 2021, Smith has started 44 consecutive games.

“Just taking care of the little things,” he said. “The recovery, making sure I take care of my body, I put the right things in my body and I make sure that I don’t do anything to jeopardize my health and I make sure I stay on top of my recovery process and taking care of my body so I don’t have to miss those games.

“Of course, being an older guy, they feel like you start to get fragile and it’s not like that. I’m like fine wine. I’m getting better with age, as we can see, and I’m just happy to be here. I’m just happy to work with these guys and I’m looking forward to this season and the things that’s going to come.”

The Packers have the fewest players who are 30-plus years old. Two teams have four; the San Francisco 49ers have a league-high 20.

Two of Smith’s former teammates, Aaron Rodgers (Jets) and Marcedes Lewis (Bears), are the only 40-year-olds who play on offense or defense.

Players Ages 30-Plus on NFL Rosters

Here are the number of players ages 30-plus on NFL rosters as of June 25. In parenthesis is the oldest player on offense or defense. The Packers have by far the fewest with one. Of their 90-man roster, only linebacker Eric Wilson (Sept. 26, 1994) and kicker Greg Joseph (Aug. 4, 1994) will turn 30 this season.

San Francisco 49ers: 20 (LT Trent Williams, 35)

Cleveland Browns: 14 (S Rodney McLeod, 34)

Pittsburgh Steelers: 13 (QB Russell Wilson, DT Cam Heyward, 35)

Houston Texans: 12 (QB Case Keenum, 36)

Baltimore Ravens: 12 (QB Josh Johnson, 38)

New Orleans Saints: 12 (LB Demario Davis, 35)

Washington Commanders: 11 (LB Bobby Wagner, 33)

New York Jets: 10 (QB Aaron Rodgers, 40)

Buffalo Bills: 10 (OLB Von Miller, 35)

Seattle Seahawks: 10 (QB Geno Smith, 33)

Jacksonville Jaguars: 10 (G Tyler Shatley, 33)

Chicago Bears: 9 (TE Marcedes Lewis, 40)

Minnesota Vikings: 9 (S Harrison Smith, 35)

Atlanta Falcons: 9 (QB Kirk Cousins, 35)

Dallas Cowboys: 9 (CB Chris Godwin, 34)

Indianapolis Colts: 8 (QB Joe Flacco, 39)

Carolina Panthers: 8 (QB Andy Dalton, 36)

New York Giants: 8 (TE Chris Manhertz, 32)

Miami Dolphins: 9 (DT Calais Campbell, 37)

Los Angeles Chargers: 7 (S Akeem Dent, 36)

Denver Broncos: 7 (FB Michael Burton, OT Garett Bolles, 32)

Philadelphia Eagles: 6 (DE Brandon Graham, 36)

Los Angeles Rams: 6 (QB Matthew Stafford, 36)

Detroit Lions: 6 (G Kevin Zeitler, 34)

Las Vegas Raiders: 6 (DT John Jenkins, 34)

Kansas City Chiefs: 6 (TE Travis Kelce, 34)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6 (LB Lavonte David, 34)

New England Patriots: 6 (OLB Matthew Judon, QB Jacoby Brissett, C David Andrews, 31)

Tennessee Titans: 5 (WR DeAndre Hopkins, 31)

Arizona Cardinals: 4 (OT Kelvin Beachum, 35)

Cincinnati Bengals: 4 (C Ted Karras, OT Trent Brown, 31)

Green Bay Packers: 1 (DE Preston Smith, 31)

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