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Garett Bolles turned 34 years old last season. He also made first team All-Pro for the first time in his career last season, as he was arguably the best left tackle in the NFL in 2025. He made second team All-Pro after the 2020 season.
The only two starting OTs who had a lower sack percentage than Bolles were right tackles. Below are all the starting tackles who allowed lower than 0.6% sack rate in 2025. Mike McGlinchey also is on the list. Other teams with two tackles were the Chiefs, Rams, Commanders, Jags, Eagles and 49ers.
All data above pulled from SISdatahub.com
ESPN shows that Bolles was also one of the best OTs in the NFL in pass block win rate (PBWR)
Bolles is at an age when many left tackles starts to decline (if they haven’t already started declining). I did a study back in 2017 to see how long elite OTs play in the NFL, but I am going to refresh it was some of the recent data. The focus of that study was Andrew Whitworth, who started 15 of 16 games for the Rams at the age of 40. At that time I hoped the Broncos would bring him in as a free agent.
Like Bolles, Whitworth didn’t get his first post-season accolade until he was 31 (Pro-Bowl). Whitworth then made first team All-Pro at the ages of 34 and 36. Whitworth also won the 2021 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award – but that has nothing to do with his play on the field. Whitworth is currently on a possible Hall of Fame inductee. He retired after the 2021 season.
According to PFR, he has a hall of fame score of 62.95. The average for OTs currently in the HoF is 95, so he is a long shot to make it. Jason Peters has a much better chance. Whitworth’s best comparison is Willie Anderson who retired after the 2008 season, but he is also comparable to Jimbo Covert, who made the Hall of Fame, despite many thinking he didn’t deserve it. Covert made it based on the Terrell Davis effect. He was the best LT for multiple seasons in the NFL during his short career just like TD was the best running back in the league for multiple seasons.
So let’s look at some of the other still playing or recently retired OTs most of whom weren’t part of the previous study – all of whom were arguably the best LT in the NFL at their peak.
Tyron Smith is currently 34. He made second team All-Pro in 2024 with the Cowboys, but he has been injury prone and hasn’t played a full NFL season since 2015. He played 10 games last season with the Jets and he missed the majority of the 2020 and 2022 seasons. He is a two time first team All-Pro and eight time Pro Bowler.
Trent Williams, who won the protector of the year award, which should have gone to Bolles, is currently 38. He made second team All-Pro last season and is a lock for the HoF given his 12 Pro-Bowl Selections and 3 first team All-Pro selections. He started 16 regular season games for the 49ers last season.
Joe Staley is another fringe HoFer like Whitworth. Staley never made first team AllPro, but was named second team AllPro three times. he made the Pro Bowl six times and was named to the NFL All 2010s team. Staley retired at the age of 35 after playing only 7 games in the 2019 season.
Jason Peters retired at the age of 41 after the 2023 season, but he probably should have retired at the age of 39. He is also a lock for the Hall of Fame. The two time first team AllPro and nine time Pro Bowler was also named to the NFL all 2010s team like Staley. Peters was only able to start three games in his final two NFL seasons, but he was arguably the best LT in the NFL in his prime.
Lane Johnson is a RT, but he has been named 1st team AllPro twice and ProBowl six times. He will be 36 next season. None of the other current aging right tackles have any shot at the Hall of Fame (since most are average or worse).
Hall of Famer Joe Thomas retired at the age of 33.
Hall of Famer Gary Zimmerman retired at the age of 36.
Duane Brown, who most likely will not make the HoF, was named 1st team AllPro once and ProBowl five times. He retired at the age of 38 and made the ProBowl at the age of 36.
So given all of this information, Garett Bolles could realistically continue playing at a high level in the NFL long past his current contract which expires after the 2027 season.
By any measure, Bolles was one of the best, if not, THE BEST OFFENSIVE TACKLE in the NFL in 2025. Among starting LTs, he had the fourth lowest blown block percentage at 2.25% – only Laremy Tunsil, Andrew Thomas and Dion Dawkins had lower blown block % in 2025. He had the lowest sack percentage allowed in the NFL among starting LTs at 0.15%. Trent Williams allowed almost four times that at 0.53%. Bolles allowed one sack on 676 passing snaps and only had two accepted holding penalties. It doesn’t get much better than that.
I am really happy to see the progression of Garret Bolles. He was not a very good pass blocker when he entered the league. Now he is elite. That is a credit to the him, but also to the coaches who have found a way to unlock the potential that has always been there with him. He is a freakish athlete who just needed time and practice to develop into an elite left tackle.