Lions' Stafford, Quin among CBS Sports' top NFL players 30 and older

The Detroit News

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Turning 30 isn't exactly a reason for considering AARP membership, but in the NFL, it can be a sign that you're closer to the end of your career than the start of it.

But, the NFL offers plenty of examples of players still chugging along in their 30s, and on Thursday, CBS Sports ranked its top 30, which includes a pair of Detroit Lions.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford, who turned 30 in February, is No. 18, while safety Glover Quin is No. 22. The list, which is of players 30 and older, is led by 40-year-old New England Patriots quarterback and Michigan product Tom Brady.

The rankings, according to writer Sean Wagner-McGough, takes into account a "combination of factors," including recent success, career resume and future projection, but is not a "historical ranking."

"In essence," Wagner-McGough writes, "we're trying to find the 30-year-old players who are good and will continue to be good in 2018 and beyond."

Stafford is one, though Wagner-McGough writes he falls short of the "elite" quarterbacks in the league.

"At this point in his career, Stafford is likely going to continue to be the same quarterback he's been for the past couple seasons," Wagner-McGough writes. "But that's not a bad thing. He might not be one of the game's truly elite quarterback like those sitting at the top of this list, but he's in the tier below them. This past season, Stafford eclipsed the 4,000-yard mark once again, and tossed 29 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions. That'll work."

Meanwhile, Quin continues to be a "damn good safety," Wagner-McGough says, at age 32.

"Quin might be a tad underrated because he plays for the Lions," he writes. "His resume to this point includes 24 career interceptions, including 19 in the past five years, which is tied for the fourth-most in that span. The three players above him all have 20 interceptions. This past season, he graded out as PFF's fourth-best safety."

In addition to Brady, who Wagner-McGough writes "remains the king at age 40," former Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (31) checks in at No. 6 with the Los Angeles Rams, while San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Joe Staley (33) of the San Francisco 49ers is No. 20. Staley is a Central Michigan product and Rockford native.