Factoid

July 08, 2024

Older wide receivers

How might 30-somethings fare?

A reader asked a question regarding older wide receivers. He mentioned Adam Thielen (34 in August), Brandin Cooks (31 in September), and a few others of that ilk. This is something I've looked at before (an Odell Beckham item, I think) but I'm going to try a different approach.

Previously I just pulled all the older-than-30 wideouts who had put up top 30 or 40 numbers in the past. There were usually about a handful a year, showing it does happen. But that doesn't really show the odds of it happening, just that it's possible.

This time I went to the files to pull the numbers from all wide receivers aged 31 or older who have started at least 10 games. If an older guy is going somewhere to be the No. 3 or 4, like Beckham, you're not expecting him to put up great numbers. So let's look at all the older guys who at the start of the season figured to be in the 60-70 players anticipated to be regular starters for their teams. How did they work out?

In the last decade, there have been 63 wide receivers aged 31 or older to start at least 10 games in a season. About a quarter of them (15) ranked in the top 25 at the position (PPR scoring). That includes four guys from last year: Thielen, Davante Adams, Keenan Allen and DeAndre Hopkins (pictured).

About half (29) of the 63, though, didn't rank in the top 40. The 42nd-ranked wide receiver in PPR leagues has value; maybe he's a semi-regular starter in a typical 12-team league that starts three wide receivers. But probably not a league-winner.

Those 62 31-year-old (or older) wideout to start at least 10 games the 10 seasons are shown in the table below, sorted by PPR ranking.

31-YEAR-OLD (OR OLDER) WIDE RECEIVERS, 10-PLUS STARTS (2014-2023)
Year	Player	Age	GS	Tgt	Rec	Yds	Avg	TD	Rk
2016	Jordy Nelson, G.B.	31	16	152	97	1257	13.0	14	2
2015	Brandon Marshall, NYJ	31	16	173	109	1502	13.8	14	3
2017	Larry Fitzgerald, Ari.	34	16	161	109	1156	10.6	6	5
2019	Julian Edelman, N.E.	33	13	153	100	1117	11.2	6	7
2015	Larry Fitzgerald, Ari.	32	16	145	109	1215	11.2	9	7
2023	Keenan Allen, LAC	31	13	150	108	1243	11.5	7	8
2023	Davante Adams, L.V.	31	17	175	103	1144	11.1	8	10
2016	Larry Fitzgerald, Ari.	33	16	150	107	1023	9.6	6	11
2023	Adam Thielen, Car.	33	17	137	103	1014	9.8	4	17
2014	Steve Smith, Balt.	35	16	134	79	1065	13.5	6	18
2014	Anquan Boldin, S.F.	34	16	130	83	1062	12.8	5	19
2018	Julian Edelman, N.E.	32	12	108	74	850	11.5	6	21
2014	Roddy White, Atl.	33	14	125	80	921	11.5	7	21
2023	DeAndre Hopkins, Ten.	31	16	137	75	1057	14.1	7	22
2018	Emmanuel Sanders, Den.	31	12	98	71	868	12.2	5	23
2018	Larry Fitzgerald, Ari.	35	16	112	69	734	10.6	6	26
2020	Cole Beasley, Buff.	31	10	107	82	967	11.8	4	27
2021	Adam Thielen, Min.	31	13	95	67	726	10.8	10	28
2014	Andre Johnson, Hou.	33	15	146	85	936	11.0	3	28
2015	James Jones, G.B.	31	15	99	50	890	17.8	8	30
2022	Adam Thielen, Min.	32	17	107	70	716	10.2	6	31
2019	Emmanuel Sanders, 2TM	32	16	97	66	869	13.2	5	32
2023	Tyler Lockett, Sea.	31	17	122	79	894	11.3	5	33
2014	Vincent Jackson, T.B.	31	16	142	70	1002	14.3	2	33
2021	Marvin Jones, Jac.	31	16	120	73	832	11.4	4	34
2017	Ted Ginn, N.O.	32	10	70	53	787	14.9	4	34
2019	Larry Fitzgerald, Ari.	36	16	109	75	804	10.7	4	35
2016	Steve Smith Sr., Balt.	37	14	101	70	799	11.4	5	37
2014	Marques Colston, N.O.	31	13	100	59	902	15.3	5	37
2018	Jordy Nelson, Oak.	33	14	88	63	739	11.7	3	38
2017	Mike Wallace, Balt.	31	14	92	52	748	14.4	4	38
2018	Demaryius Thomas, 2TM	31	15	89	59	677	11.5	5	39
2015	Anquan Boldin, S.F.	35	13	111	69	789	11.4	4	40
2014	Malcom Floyd, S.D.	33	16	92	52	856	16.5	6	40
2020	T.Y. Hilton, Ind.	31	15	93	56	762	13.6	5	42
2016	Anquan Boldin, Det.	36	16	95	67	584	8.7	8	42
2014	Greg Jennings, Min.	31	13	92	59	742	12.6	6	42
2018	DeSean Jackson, T.B.	32	10	74	41	774	18.9	5	43
2019	Golden Tate, NYG	31	10	85	49	676	13.8	6	45
2017	DeSean Jackson, T.B.	31	13	90	50	668	13.4	3	45
2017	Jordy Nelson, G.B.	32	15	88	53	482	9.1	6	46
2019	Danny Amendola, Det.	34	10	97	62	678	10.9	1	49
2016	Brandon Marshall, NYJ	32	15	128	59	788	13.4	3	49
2015	Nate Washington, Hou.	32	14	94	47	658	14.0	4	49
2014	Reggie Wayne, Ind.	36	15	116	64	779	12.2	2	50
2014	Larry Fitzgerald, Ari.	31	13	103	63	784	12.4	2	51
2021	Emmanuel Sanders, Buff.	34	13	72	42	626	14.9	4	54
2017	Brandon LaFell, Cin.	31	15	89	52	548	10.5	3	55
2018	Michael Crabtree, Balt.	31	16	100	54	607	11.2	3	56
2018	Danny Amendola, Mia.	33	15	79	59	575	9.8	1	57
2022	Marvin Jones, Jac.	32	10	81	46	529	11.5	3	58
2015	Andre Johnson, Ind.	34	14	77	41	503	12.3	4	58
2014	Nate Washington, Ten.	31	11	72	40	647	16.2	2	66
2020	A.J. Green, Cin.	32	14	104	47	523	11.1	2	68
2014	Jerricho Cotchery, Car.	32	13	78	48	580	12.1	1	69
2015	Malcom Floyd, S.D.	34	13	68	30	561	18.7	3	70
2015	Roddy White, Atl.	34	16	70	43	506	11.8	1	73
2020	Larry Fitzgerald, Ari.	37	13	72	54	409	7.6	1	74
2023	Robert Woods, Hou.	31	11	75	40	426	10.7	1	78
2019	Demaryius Thomas, NYJ	32	10	58	36	433	12.0	1	83
2015	Harry Douglas, Ten.	31	12	72	36	411	11.4	2	83
2021	Julio Jones, Ten.	32	10	48	31	434	14.0	1	93
2022	A.J. Green, Ari.	34	10	47	24	236	9.8	2	104

--Andy Richardson

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