Perfect attendance is nearly impossible in the injury-ravaged, ever-specialized NFL. Even if a player stays healthy, chances are high that he will be taken off the field at some point as coaches employ situational strategies.

So it’s worth noting the relative handful of players who cut through those obstacles and were on the field for every snap for their side of the ball that their teams took during the 2016 regular season. For the most part, they come from positions that are not often subject to rotation: offensive line and quarterback.

A total of 34 players accomplished perfect attendance this season, including 26 offensive linemen. The achievement requires health, skill and some luck as well. Dozens more played all but a few of their teams’ snaps, felled only by a quick health check, equipment issue or late-game replacement.

Below are the regular-season snap totals for the eight players who are not offensive linemen; the O-linemen’s totals are in the chart. The listed ages are as of Week 17.

QB Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints | Age: 37

Snaps: 1,153 of 1,153

Brees returned to form in 2016 after injuries slowed his usual pace in 2015. In his 16th season, Brees took more snaps than any other quarterback in the NFL. He has missed a grand total of two starts since joining the Saints in 2006. One of Brees’ secrets: He had the NFL’s fourth-lowest contact rate in 2016, taking a hit on 5.8 percent of his dropbacks.

QB Eli Manning, New York Giants | Age: 35

Snaps: 1,062 of 1,062

Even at his age, this achievement is hardly a surprise. Manning hasn’t missed a start since ascending to the job in 2005, and his streak of 199 consecutive games played leads all active players. Manning’s consecutive games streak ranks third all time among NFL quarterbacks. In 2016, Manning had the NFL’s lowest contact rate (5.0). It helps to stay clean.

QB Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins | Age: 28

Snaps: 1,060 of 1,060

Like Brees and Manning, Cousins has learned how to minimize hits inside and outside the pocket. He ranked No. 6 in the NFL in contact rate (7.6 percent). In his two years as the Redskins’ starter, he ranks No. 7 (7.2 percent) in that category.

QB Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions | Age: 28

Snaps: 1,037 of 1,037

It’s amazing that after two injury-shortened years at the start of his career, Stafford has made every start since Week 1 of the 2011 season. And in 2016, there weren’t many opportunities to give him an end-game breather. The Lions had eight fourth-quarter comeback victories, and 13 of their 16 games were decided by one score.

LB Alec Ogletree, Los Angeles Rams | Age: 25

If the New England Patriots are satisfied with their fifth title, they sure aren’t showing it.

On Feb. 7, just two days after they won Super Bowl LI for their fifth title, the team filed to trademark the phrase “Blitz for Six,” hoping to use it on clothing, included hooded T-shirts, of course. Patriots coach Bill Belichick is known for wearing Patriots hoodies.

And last Tuesday, the same day that Belichick chanted “No Days Off” to the crowd at the team’s victory parade, the Patriots also filed to trademark that phrase.

The Patriots have been among the more aggressive organizations in terms of filing to protect phrases they endeavor to bring to market. The week before the Super Bowl, the team filed to trademark “Ignore The Noise.” In recent years, they received trademarks to “Do Your Job” and “We are all Patriots.”

The Kraft Group, the parent company of the team, recently received trademarks to “19-0” and “Perfect Season,” nearly nine years after the New York Giants destroyed the Patriots’ hope of accomplishing those goals after beating New England in Super Bowl XLII.

Real Madrid welcomed Gareth Bale back to group training Sunday, marking the Welsh star’s return after being sidelined for nearly three months with an ankle injury that required surgery in late November.

Bale was forced off near the hour mark of Real Madrid’s 2-1 win over Sporting Lisbon on Nov. 22 and diagnosed with a “traumatic dislocation of the peroneal tendons in his right ankle.”

He’s missed 17 matches for the club, but could be made available for the upcoming Champions League Round of 16 tilt against Italian outfit Napoli on Feb. 15 at the Santiago Bernabeu.

In just 16 appearances with Real Madrid this season, the 27-year-old has scored seven goals and recorded three assists. His return will be hailed by manager Zinedine Zidane, who turned to Lucas Vazquez in Bale’s absence.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he hasn’t considered the possibility of Tony Romo playing for another NFC team because he doesn’t want to think about it.

“That bothers the heck out of me because I know wherever he goes, he’ll start. I know wherever he goes, he’ll compete, absent injury,” Jones said Friday on J Dub City on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM.

“We saw a guy [Tom Brady] several years older than him win a Super Bowl. I think he’s that kind of player, so you’ve dealt in your own conference, somebody that has the possibility to come back and beat us.”

Dak Prescott passed for more than 3,600 yards with 23 touchdowns and four interceptions this past season. He’s the starter, and it’s unlikely Romo wants to remain on the roster as a backup.

Romo probably will be released or traded during the offseason. It’ll probably happen sooner rather than later because Romo’s new team will want the 36-year-old in his new city as soon as possible to learn the offense and develop a rapport with his teammates.

The trick for Jones is doing what’s right for Romo and the franchise.

“We’ve got a lot to do. We’ll get it sorted out. That’s what it’s all about,” Jones said. “Relationships come into play here.

“When you’ve got the kind of relationship I’ve got with him, and the type of person that Tony Romo is, we’ll get this worked out.”

Jones knows the odds are against it, but he still hopes he can persuade Romo to back up Prescott.

So what’s the sales pitch?

“It has to do with what his options are,” Jones said. “If he went to another team, it has to do with what his ability is to compete here.

“All of these things I don’t have an answer to — we just have to work through it.”