Every year following the NFL’s roster cutdowns, analyst Jimmy Kempski of Philly Voice goes through and tabulates the average age of each of the 32 teams. The 2024 Detroit Lions have gotten older than recent previous editions of the team, but they’re still among the youngest rosters in the NFL.
This year’s initial 53-man Lions roster carries an average age of 25.73 years old, per Kempski. That places the Lions ninth in the NFL for the coming season.
It’s an increase from last year’s average age in Detroit. The uptick is slight, moving from 25.7 to 25.73. Adding in three undrafted rookies helped negate some of the natural aging of the team’s core group.
In 2022, the Lions were the second-youngest team in the tabulation, with an average age of 25.2. The 2021 Lions were one of the youngest teams of the last 20 years, also ranking second that season behind the New York Jets, who were beginning a rebuild at the same time.
In 2024, the Packers are the youngest team. Minnesota and Miami are tied for the oldest rosters at the start of the year.