Pittsburgh has had some seasoned veterans throughout its storied history. Here are the five oldest to ever wear a Steelers uniform.
There are certain positions in the NFL that have a much longer career expectancy than others. However, nobody can make it for very long in this business unless they are excellent at what they do. Despite younger fresher talent nipping at their heels for a shot to supplant them, some old veterans are too resilient to quit.
Throughout their storied history, the Pittsburgh Steelers have had their share of aging veterans who have been to string together careers that have outlasted much younger NFL players. However, every once in a while, you get a few that Father Time can’t seem to chase down. Here are the five oldest NFL players to ever wear the black and gold for the Steelers:
7. Steelers QB Charlie Batch
Age: 38 years, 0.9 months
Charlie Batch embodied everything you could ask for in a backup quarterback. The former Detroit Lions starter become Ben Roethlisberger’s backup in Pittsburgh for the better part of a decade and was able to hold down the fort when Ben would miss short periods of time with injury.
Throughout his 8 years with the Steelers, Batch only started 9 games, but he went 6-3 during this span. Regardless of his limited usage, Batch played a huge role in helping Roethlisberger prepare week in and week out.
At just over 38 years old at the time of his final game in 2012, Charlie Batch is the fifth-oldest NFL player to ever wear the black and gold uniform on Sundays. Many teams shuffle through backup quarterbacks quickly, but Batch was one of the best in the league in his particular role. He finished his career with 61 touchdown passes and 11,085 passing yards.