'I want to play': Vikings CB Terence Newman plans to play next season at age 40

"I want to play [next season], because we made it to an NFC Championship," Newman said. "We fell short. We fell way short ... I want to be able to have an opportunity to win a ring. It's that simple."

The 15-year veteran will turn 40 on Sept. 4, two days before the opening game of the 2018 regular season. Only Tom Brady (turned 40 in August) and James Harrison (will turn 40 in May) are older among the league's active non-special teamers.

According to Pro Football Reference, the only pure cornerback to ever play at 40 years or older is seven-time Pro Bowler and Hall of Famer Darrell Green, who was a full-time starter until age 39 and played three more seasons in a smaller role for the Washington Redskins.

Newman has played in 31 games (16 starts) over the last two seasons, logging 752 defensive snaps (72.7 percent) in 2016 and 560 snaps (56.1 percent) in 2017. He has missed just 19 of a possible 240 games in his career.

Though Newman is a free agent, it would make sense for him to return for a fourth season in Minnesota. Not only could the Vikings again be in Super Bowl contention, but Newman has spent nine of his 15 NFL seasons with head coach Mike Zimmer, including defensive coordinator stints in Dallas and Cincinnati.

A first-round pick (No. 5 overall) of the Dallas Cowboys in 2003, Newman entered the league as a 25-year-old rookie with Zimmer as his top defensive assistant. Newman also played two years under Zimmer with the Cincinnati Bengals before the Vikings hired Zimmer to be their head coach.