Age and a 12-year NFL career haven’t slowed down 49ers left tackle Joe Staley. He’s continued putting together a string of sensational years even as he enters his age 35 season. His consistently stellar production landed Staley on Pro Football Focus list of the NFL’s 10 best players entering their age 35 season.
It’s been a pretty remarkable run for Staley that could land him in Canton after his career is over. In the short-term, he continues to be the anchor of an improving 49ers offensive line. PFF pointed to his consistency as the reason he’s one of the NFL’s best elder statesmen:
He’s been the epitome of consistency for the offensive tackle position, earning 81.0-plus overall grades in each of the past seven seasons. He’s also avoided significant injury over the seven-year stretch, playing 840 or more offensive snaps in each season.
Getting continually great play from Staley has been part of the reason the 49ers have had any level of expectations the last two years. Going through a rebuild without needing to find a quality left tackle has allowed San Francisco to address other needs. Their record in doing so hasn’t been sterling, but the fact they’ve been able to rely on Staley has been helpful in getting them to a point where they can compete for a playoff spot just three years into the Kyle Shanahan-John Lynch tenure.
It’s difficult to appreciate strong individual offensive line play with so few quantifiable stats and the general focus on skill position players during NFL broadcasts. Staley has undoubtedly been one of the best players at his position throughout his career, and there’s no signs he’s slowing down any time soon.
The 34-year-old is in the final year of his contract with the 49ers, and he’s still undecided about his future. Team CEO Jed York made it clear at the NFL owners meetings that he didn’t want to see Staley in another uniform. If he does decide to play beyond the 2019 season, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the 49ers do everything to keep Staley in San Francisco, especially considering the high level he’s continued to play at.
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