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The Oakland Raiders may be one of the laughing stocks in the NFL, but one thing is for certain: Charles Woodson is the new ageless wonder in football. How much longer he can continue to play at this high level and help the Raiders will be the key question for Woodson and his team as they head into training camp to prepare for the 2015 season.
Woodson will be turning 39 years old shortly after the season starts. The fact that Woodson is still playing at that age is astounding, but he is also playing at a high level which makes it even more impressive. Add in the position that Woodson plays, its impressive how he can continuously be on the field making plays.
The main question the Raiders will have to answer when it comes to Woodson this year is, “does Woodson still have enough left in the tank?” Is he still doing enough on the defensive side of the football to help the Raiders? Last season was Woodson’s best since returning to Oakland for his second tenure, so it will be interesting to see if Woodson can continue to play at the level he was last year. Last season he put up 113 tackles with four interceptions. He was so impressive with his play last year he even earned an All-Pro vote. Given how well he played last year, it will be hard for Woodson to replicate his performance last season at his age.
Nobody expected Woodson to do much once the Green Bay Packers released him and he signed on with the Raiders. At the time, many thought Woodson should just retire. Since Woodson returned to Oakland in 2013, he has started every game for the black and silver. He has been a reliable and solid player for a team that hasn’t done anything in terms of winning lately and are not expected to win a lot of games this year.
Woodson is no doubt the veteran leader of this young, inexperienced Raiders team. A lot of the young players on this team could learn a lot from a player like Woodson. Even though Woodson has played well during his tenure, Woodson’s greatest attribute to this team is to mentor the young guys so they can maybe turn into great pros like Woodson is.
How much can Woodson continue to contribute at his age? That remains to be seen. He will be entering his 18th season this year, and you have to give Woodson a lot of credit to continue to play for a franchise that isn’t expected to contend for a while yet. At what point, though, do the Raiders decide to look to the future at safety? How much longer do they continue to keep playing a guy who will be 39 years old this year? As long as Woodson keeps playing like he has been, he gives the Raiders the best chance to win more games. The Raiders will have to look to the future and figure out who their starter will be down the road.
This season will be fun to watch to see how well Woodson can continue to play. Woodson has been one of the most impressive players to watch during his time and if he can continue to play great football this season, it adds to his legacy and hall of fame resume.
