I think Ben has a few years left in him. I honestly do not see him retiring soon and I think that the new and revamped offensive line will be able to extend his career a little bit longer.
If we get more than 3 or 4 more GOOD years out of Ben I will be surprised.
"With love, with patience, and with Faith
....She'll make her way" ~ Natalie Merchant
I think a lot of people are just looking for feel-good consolation when they think Ben can play into his late 30's at a relevant level. Really? With the kind of beating he has endured? He's missed a good share of games, and seen his production and high level of play dwindle many times due to injury. It's not just about how many games and years ben can play, but also how many he can play WELL, as GBMelblount points out.
He'll play 4 more years (that are actually worth a damn) imo.
If he dumps his wife and kid I predict he can play for 10 more years
hua!
He's only 31 years old, he has a good 5-6 years left
I'd guess he starts for another six years.
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I don't see why he couldn't play 5-6 more years. His game depends a lot on mobility, but it's not like he's out there setting speed records; it's a different kind of elusiveness that I don't think declines that much with age. He gets hit a lot compared to other QBs, but it's nothing compared to the beating other players take. 30-50 sacks in a season? That's one game for a LB or RB.
Probably more than anything, it depends on whether the team is in another upswing in 3-4 years where it's competing for championships, or whether it goes into full-on rebuilding mode. And also on whether or not we have another "QB of the future" waiting in the wings. Either of those could extend or shorten his career here by a couple years.
See you Space Cowboy ...
I say because of past concussions, and married and family life, I'll go with 5 yrs.. By then he'll be ready to turn over the reigns a youngster will be ready.