Numbers Crunch: Steelers Average Age By Position

By Alex Kozora

Here is a little bit of research to hold you over for the weekend and it includes the average age at each position for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Presenting this with minimal context because in the end, it doesn’t matter a whole lot. I’ll leave the absurd generalizations to Warren Sapp.

I do want to note in order to avoid the numbers being skewed towards the younger guys, I did not count any undrafted rookies and most players on a reserve/future contract. Also, counted a player’s age for what it would be by Week One, September 7^th.

The chart is below with a few more nuggets to follow.

The average age on offense is 26.1. On defense, 25.8.

Quarterback is the only group with an average age above 28. Quarterback, tight end, and safety are the only ones older than 27.

Of the eight wide receivers I included, only two are older than 26. Lance Moore at 31 and Darrius Heyward-Bey at 27.

Of the 59 players that are included, only nine are at least 30. Of those nine, only six could reasonably be expected to make a significant contribution in 2014. A brief glance at the rest of the AFC North, the Baltimore Ravens have seven that fit the “significant” tag, the Cincinnati Bengals have five to six and the Cleveland Browns just two to three.

If you follow me on Twitter, you saw me write this the other day. Ramon Foster is the elder among the starting front five at 28. The ages of the other four: Kelvin Beachum (25), Maurkice Pouncey (25), David DeCastro (24), Marcus Gilbert (26).

Talk about hitting the fountain of youth among the front seven. Only one defensive lineman is past 25, no outside linebacker older than 26, and two inside linebackers past his 24^th birthday (just one if you throw out Kion Wilson, who is 27).

The oldest player on the roster? 34 year old Ike Taylor. The youngest? Stephon Tuitt, who couldn’t legally buy a drink until this past May.