Top 10 Aging Superstars Primed to Retire After 2025 Season
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
The 2025 NFL season has been downright brutal for some of the league’s biggest and most respected names. We’re talking future Hall of Famers, Super Bowl legends, and long-time Pro Bowl staples players like Aaron Rodgers, who are clearly battling the one opponent no athlete ever beats: time.
Sure, the box scores tell part of the story, but the real decline shows up in the hesitation, the missed reads, the lingering injuries, and the moments where their bodies simply can’t cash the checks their résumés once wrote with ease.
Father Time isn’t just undefeated in 2025, he’s been ruthless.
Some of these stars will walk away on their own terms. Others may find themselves nudged out by organizations eager to rebuild and move forward. Either way, we’re witnessing the final chapters of some truly iconic careers, and it’s not always easy to watch.
With that in mind, let’s break down the 10 NFL stars who could and probably should retire after the 2025 season.
Which NFL players should consider retirement after this season?
Aaron Rodgers, Quarterback — Pittsburgh Steelers
The NFL’s oldest active player has already told us exactly what he’s thinking. The question is, how long until… and how many times will he change his mind?
Back in June, Rodgers told The Pat McAfee Show that he was “pretty sure” the 2025 NFL season would be his last. It’s probably the reason why he signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh after the Jets released him. No long-term commitment, no illusions about what this is. It’s a farewell tour disguised as a playoff push.
Pretty straightforward, right?
But here’s the reality that no amount of midseason success can change: the man will turn 42 in December. He’s already had his Hall of Fame career locked up years ago. Four MVP awards. A Super Bowl ring. Ten Pro Bowls. What’s left to prove at this point?
Rodgers himself has double-tapped on the fact that he’s pretty sure this is it, and honestly, going out on a strong note with Pittsburgh is a lot better than limping through another year at age 42, risking injury or further tarnishing what’s been an incredible legacy.
Travis Kelce, Tight End — Kansas City Chiefs
Travis Kelce is 35 years old and coming off his worst statistical season in years. In 2024, he posted 97 catches for 823 yards and just three touchdowns… a massive drop from his peak years when he was routinely clearing 1,000 yards and double-digit touchdowns, dominating defenses in ways that made him one of the most dangerous weapons in football.
His Super Bowl performance last February was particularly rough. Four catches for 39 yards in the biggest game of the year. Kelce himself said in February 2025 that he felt like he “failed my guys,” which is the kind of honest self-assessment that usually signals a player knows the end is near.
And to his credit, he’s trying to bounce back. He lost weight in the offseason. He also says he’s motivated to get the most out of the game while he still can.
But loving the game doesn’t make Father Time go away, and no amount of offseason conditioning can turn back the clock when your body has accumulated that many seasons of NFL punishment.
Kelce has one year left on his deal and has already accomplished all of the things… he’s won three Super Bowls, is the Chiefs’ all-time leading receiver, and, of course, is going to Canton the moment he becomes eligible.
Kelce hasn’t committed to retirement yet, and he probably won’t until the offseason forces the decision. But at 35 with visible wear and tear, this very well could be his final season in Kansas City.
Calais Campbell, Defensive Lineman — Arizona Cardinals
Calais Campbell has basically told us he’s done.
The 38-year-old returned to Arizona in April 2025, signing a one-year deal with the team that drafted him in 2008. When asked about 2025 being his last season, Campbell said he’d be very surprised if it wasn’t.
Which, considering Campbell is in his 18th NFL season, is understandable.
And when you look at his resume, it is clear that he doesn’t have much more to accomplish. He’s earned his retirement watch. Returning to the Cardinals for one final season is a good enough storybook ending for him!
Campbell gets to go out on his own terms with the franchise that believed in him first. That’s rare in the NFL. Most players either get cut unceremoniously or hang on too long. Campbell seems at peace walking away, and that’s not something every veteran athlete manages to achieve.
Bobby Wagner, Linebacker — Washington Commanders
In 2024, Wagner posted 132 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and two fumble recoveries with Washington, marking one of the best seasons for any off-ball linebacker that year.
Second-team All-Pro at his age was a ridiculous achievement… and the way he was still playing at an elite level, defying age, seemed to suggest he had a few more years left.
But 2025 has been rough and looks like the proverbial cliff..
Fans and analysts alike have even started calling for Wagner to retire.
Wagner is 35 years old and in his 14th NFL season in 2025. Ten-time Pro Bowler, 11-time All-Pro, Super Bowl champion, NFL 2010s All-Decade Team. The credentials are undeniable.
But when the team is actively preparing for life after you and fans are calling for you to hang it up, it’s usually a sign. Wagner might have one more year in him, but after what we’ve seen in 2025, walking away now would preserve his legacy as one of the greatest linebackers of all time and might just give him a better quality of life if we are being honest.
Von Miller, Edge Rusher — Washington Commanders
The Super Bowl 50 MVP, two-time champion, and eight-time Pro Bowler hasn’t hit 10 sacks in seven years. You got that right. Von Miller hasn’t had a double-digit sack season since 2018.
Now, he’s 36 years old and was released by the Buffalo Bills earlier in 2025 before signing with Washington.
Miller still has value. He had the NFL’s fastest get-off time last season. He also posted a 25.5% pass rush win rate in the fourth quarter, which ranked third in the league. Sure, he can still help a team in situational pass rush.
But when you go from elite to a useful situational player, it is clear your career is winding down. The role becomes smaller, the impact diminishes. Eventually, teams start asking if a roster spot could be better utilized by someone younger.
Lingering knee injuries have plagued Miller, and he is reportedly considering retirement after the year. With his Hall of Fame case already locked in, who could blame him?
Russell Wilson, Quarterback — New York Giants
From Super Bowl champion to journeyman bench player in three years. That’s the latest chapter in Russell Wilson’s story.
Wilson signed a one-year deal with the Giants after a messy split with Pittsburgh, where his relationship with the team became fractured in relatively short order.
A few New York fans flirted with the idea that maybe Wilson had one more run left in him. That a change of scenery could reignite whatever made him special in Seattle.
Spoiler alert: it didn’t.
Wilson started 0-3 as the Giants’ starter in the 2025 NFL season and was promptly benched for rookie Jaxson Dart.
Marking the third team that has given up on him in consecutive years. That’s damning for a quarterback who was once one of the league’s best.
Wilson just doesn’t have the same scrambling ability he once did, that dual-threat element that made him dangerous for over a decade. And though his confidence is still sky-high, maybe it shouldn’t be, as it leads him into more mistakes than wins.
Russ had an incredible peak with Seattle. However, that player doesn’t exist anymore, and this latest stint in New York may have finally proved it to him.
DeAndre Hopkins, Wide Receiver — Baltimore Ravens
Sad to say it, but DeAndre Hopkins is a shadow of the player who dominated for years with the Texans and Cardinals. In 2024, his numbers declined across the board. After being traded to Kansas City midseason, he posted just 41 receptions for 437 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games with the Chiefs. Replacement-level production at best.
Thus far in 2025, it has been more of the same as his reduced target share and rising age make it look all the more likely that his days as a go-to receiver are over, and retirement may be looming.
Hopkins is still playing… he’s currently with the Baltimore Ravens. But he’s in a diminished role, and despite flashes, the production isn’t there anymore, largely because the separation isn’t what it used to be.
Hopkins will probably make the Hall of Fame one day. After all, he’s the NFL’s active leader in receiving yards with over 12,000 for his career. Five Pro Bowls. Three All-Pro selections.
But at this point, he’s only holding on because that’s what competitors do, and he’d be wise to get out sooner rather than later.
Cam Jordan, Defensive End — New Orleans Saints
Fifteen years with one franchise is impressive, and that’s why Cam Jordan is beloved in New Orleans.
The 35-year-old defensive end has spent his entire professional life with the New Orleans Saints since being drafted 24th overall in 2011. Multiple Pro Bowls. Part of the legendary 2011 draft class. A franchise icon in every way.
But even Jordan admits the end is near. He acknowledged that he’d “like to play through at least his 15th season.” That’s the 2025 NFL season. His current contract runs through 2025, and while his passion for the Saints has never wavered, his play has declined over the past couple of years.
The Saints brought him back on a reworked contract for his 15th season… a nice gesture, but also a clear signal that they weren’t committing long-term. Jordan says he still enjoys the game as much as he ever has. But there’s a difference between loving football and your body being able to handle it.
And… really… There is still a big question of whether he even wants to keep playing. I mean, suiting up for New Orleans and getting your teeth kicked in every weekend is tough regardless of age.
And it is not like he’ll want to go anywhere else at this point.
Going out as a Saints lifter after 15 years is the kind of loyalty you rarely see anymore and is core to who he is as a football player. Plus, retiring as a one-franchise player would cement his legacy in New Orleans forever.
Lavonte David, Linebacker — Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Another franchise legend is potentially in his final season.
Lavonte David has spent all 14 years of his NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Super Bowl champion. Three-time All-Pro. One of only four players since 1994 with 1,500+ tackles, 35+ sacks, and 10+ interceptions alongside London Fletcher, Ray Lewis, and Bobby Wagner. That’s elite company. Truly one of the great players of his generation.
But all signs point to 2025 being his last ride.
David turns 36 in January 2026 during a potential playoff run. He’s been signing one-year contracts for several years now, the classic year-by-year approach of a veteran hanging on.
It wouldn’t be a shock to see David retire after the 2025 NFL season, and based on the numbers, it’s hard to argue.
David’s 2025 performance has been middle-of-the-pack, which is impressive for his age, but not his standards… and there is reason to believe that the one-year, 10 million dollar deal he signed in March is going to be his farewell tour. Going out as a Buccaneers lifter after 14 seasons, a Super Bowl ring, and a spot alongside legends like Ray Lewis in the record books?
Not a bad way to finish your career! Especially if Baker can lead them on another deep playoff run.
Tyreek Hill, Wide Receiver — Miami Dolphins
This one hurts to even talk about for Dolphins fans because the Tyreek Hill era started off with so much promise in South Beach, but there is a real reason to believe that the speedster’s career might have ended in the most brutal way possible.
Week 4 against the Jets, Hill caught a 10-yard pass, got tackled out of bounds, and his left leg twisted underneath him in a way that made everyone watching wince. Multiple ligament tears, including his ACL. Surgery was performed within days—season over just like that.
Here’s what makes this particularly devastating: Hill’s entire game is built on elite speed and explosiveness. It is literally what makes him Tyreek Hill. Any loss of quickness after this injury could completely alter his effectiveness, transforming him from a game-breaking weapon into just another veteran trying to hang on.
The Dolphins are expected to release him before the March 2026 league year starts, which tells you everything you need to know about how the organization views his future. Hill himself admitted he’s unsure about returning in 2026 and plans to have a conversation with his family about potential retirement. When a player starts using that kind of language, the writing is usually on the wall.
Think about the timeline here. A full ACL recovery takes nine to twelve months. He’ll be 32 years old when he’s cleared to play again. And if he’s lost even half a step? The player who terrorized defenses with 4.2 speed might not exist anymore. At that point, what’s left? He might be a shell of himself without the speed that made him special, chasing a paycheck while his body reminds him every play that it can’t do what it used to.
Given the severity of the injury and the uncertainty around his recovery, retirement might actually be the smartest move for Tyreek.
