NFL's 5 best players 35 and older

The NFL is a young man's league, but age is just a number for these five players, who continue to be productive as their careers wind down.

Tom Brady

Born: Aug. 3, 1977 (Age: 38)
Experience: 16th season

If Brady needed extra motivation entering his 16th pro season and fourth title defense, he got it with the Deflategate scandal and the possible suspension that came with it.

Brady's helped guide the Patriots to the top of the AFC. He'll finish the season with more passing yards, touchdowns, and a higher quarterback rating than in any of the previous three seasons.

Carson Palmer

Born: Dec. 27, 1979 (Age: 36)
Experience: 13th season

This season, Palmer may have the best shot he's ever had at winning a Super Bowl. The Cardinals are winners of nine in a row and are 29-8 when Palmer's under center. Through Week 16, Arizona possesses the NFL's No. 1 scoring offense.

He's a perfect fit in Bruce Arians' aggressive, downfield passing offense. At 36 years of age, Palmer's achieved career highs in passing yards and touchdowns. With 73 more yards through the air, he'll break the Cardinals' franchise record for passing yards in a season.

Antonio Gates

Born: June 18, 1980 (Age: 35)
Experience: 13th season

Gates missed the first four games of the season due to a suspension, but made up for lost time with 18 catches for 187 yards and two scores in his first two games back.

Among those touchdowns was the 100th of his career, making him just the second tight end in NFL history to reach that milestone. Should he return for a 14th pro season, Gates will have a shot at passing Tony Gonzalez for most touchdowns by a tight end.

Julius Peppers

Born: Jan. 18, 1980 (Age: 35)
Experience: 14th season

The Packers rarely make splashes on the free-agent market, but Ted Thompson made an exception for Peppers, who's been a force as a pass-rusher and defensive playmaker in two seasons in Green Bay.

In his first year with the club, Peppers got his mitts on five turnovers, two of which he returned for scores, then racked up 2.5 sacks in two postseason games. This year, as a 35-year-old, he's up to 9.5 sacks.

Charles Woodson

Born: Oct. 7, 1976 (Age: 39)
Experience: 18th season

Woodson recently announced that this would be his last go-around as a pro, but he's shown throughout the year he still has something left in the tank. In a seven-week span from Oct. 11 through Nov. 28, no player in the league had more interceptions than the 39-year-old Raiders safety.

Once one of the league's pre-eminent shutdown cornerbacks, Woodson extended his career by transitioning to safety, where he's served as a veteran presence and mentor to a young and improving Oakland defense.