Unlike aged fine wines, 49ers age could give Rams decided edge in 2024

Veteran football players provide leadership, consistency, and the ability to mentor younger players, particularly those rookies or second-year players who are arriving to the NFL to compete in meaningful roles for the first time. The LA Rams, while one of the younger rosters in the NFL in 2024, certainly retained the wisdom to extend several key veteran leaders to ensure that the wisdom of their playing days would benefit young players as well.

In 2021, the LA Rams boasted one of the youngest NFL team rosters. That was the year in which the Rams won Super Bowl LVI.

With every team down to its initial 53-man roster, here's a listing of the youngest to the oldest rosters in the NFL. This includes all players listed as Active or Reserve/COVID-19 on their respective team websites. pic.twitter.com/HwhCUaBzQC
— Andrew Walker (@AWalkerColts) September 1, 2021

Of course, the San Francisco 49ers have a different strategy. They tend to focus on getting older players on their roster. In 2021, the 49ers had the sixth oldest roster in the NFL. They were the second-oldest roster in 2023.

FWIW: Bengals and Bills have two of the three oldest rosters remaining in the NFL playoffs. However, important to realize "oldest" and "youngest" are separated by one calendar year. It's all relative. pic.twitter.com/BpcoGeDyxs
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) January 19, 2023

And they show no signs of a youth movement in 2024. In fact, they have embraced age as a priority, leading to their current ranking as the oldest roster in the NFL today:

The San Francisco #49ers have the oldest roster in the league with an average of 27 years old. #FTTB

Here are the top 10 oldest rosters in the #NFL⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Qn9obvD2pb
— 49ers & NFL News 24/7 (@49ersSportsTalk) June 2, 2024

So what's the problem? The 49ers have undeniably enjoyed success in the past three seasons, so why mess with success, right? In 2021, the 49ers ended the season with a 10-7 record and advanced all the way to the NFC Championship Game before suffering defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams.

In 2022, the 49ers finished with a record of 13-4, but suffered defeat in the NFC Championship Gamel. But this time they were sent packing at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles. Last season, the 49ers played to a 12-5 record, and advanced all the way to Super Bowl LVIII. But once again, they lost. This time to the defending Super Bowl Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.

In each of the examples above, the 49ers banked on the belief that older players make better players. This was a team whose only truly young player in 2022 was Mr. Irrelevant, QB Brock Purdy. As a result, the 49ers have been able to go quite cheap at quarterback, and invest in expensive veteran play elsewhere. But changes are coming in 2024.

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