Panthers long snapper JJ Jansen is set to break the NFL record for games played at his position on Sunday

The NFL's most durable long snapper is about to stand alone.

Carolina's JJ Jansen will play his 282nd career game Sunday when the Panthers face the Philadelphia Eagles. That will break his tie with Trey Junkin for the most games ever played by a long snapper in NFL history.

A trade that lasted 18 seasons

Jansen, 40, snapped at Notre Dame before signing with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played only in the preseason that year and spent the regular season on injured reserve.

In 2009 the Panthers needed a long snapper and sent a conditional 2011 draft pick to Green Bay to get him. He has held the job in Carolina ever since. All 281 of his games have come with the Panthers.

Lessons from his dad

Few players ever learn to snap well enough to make a living at it. Jansen learned from his father, who had been a high school long snapper.

"I still remember we practiced in the same way every single time," Jansen said. "We had like a square piece of grass that was probably 20 yards by 20 yards. I'd stand at one end in front of a tree that was right in the middle. My dad would stand at 15 yards away and I would snap it."

He said those long nights swung between good snaps and bad ones, with father and son sometimes yelling at each other across the yard. He called them "boys and their fathers moments."

More records within reach

Only one active player has played more games. Baltimore defensive end Calais Campbell has 283. If both men play all 17 games this season Campbell will finish the year at 295, tying Hall of Famer Darrell Green for 16th on the all-time list, while Jansen will reach 294 for 18th.

Former Detroit Lions kicker Jason Hanson holds the record for most games with one team at 327. If Jansen keeps playing every game for Carolina he would pass Hanson in the final game of the 2028 season. He has shown no signs of slowing down.