Packers veteran defender believes he's aging 'like fine wine'

Much of the Packers' success last season was thanks to their younger players, but one of their veterans believes he'll be just as big of a factor this season.

Defensive lineman Preston Smith, who will turn 32 this season, believes he's getting better with age.

"Of course, being an older guy, they feel like you start to get fragile, and it's not like that," Smith said, via Wes Hodkiewicz of the team's website. "I'm like fine wine. I'm getting better with age, as we can see, and I'm just happy to be here. I'm just happy to work with these guys."

Smith is entering his 10th season in the NFL and has shown no signs of slowing down. He has registered 107 tackles, 16.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and five passes defensed while not missing a game the past two years.

He said he feels far from his age.

"I really be thinking I'm 29 and 28 sometimes. I feel like I'm aging backwards," Smith added. "But when y'all keep reminding me I'm in my 30s, I start to really feel old. But I feel good, personally."

Smith is the only player on Green Bay's 90-man roster who is 30 or older and has been able to stay healthy for most of his career thanks to his recovery process, which includes cold tub and sauna treatments after every practice.

As a result, he has only missed one game in his career — Week 7 of the 2021 season due to an oblique injury.

Of course, Smith has seen more days than he's going to in the NFL, but he thinks he's got plenty of gas left in the tank to play a little while longer and maybe even help the Packers hoist their fifth Vince Lombardi Trophy.

"It's always the goal of mine to make Year 10 and now that I'm here, it's always a goal to just keep on chopping," Smith concluded. "I got so many opportunities and I still feel like I got so much ball left in me. I feel like I got a lot of gas left in the tank and I still have an opportunity to make big plays and play for a long time in this league."