3 NFL Players that need to retire ASAP

There comes a time when a professional athlete’s skills deteriorate, due to either age and/or injuries. Usually, everybody else observing sees the athlete in question should probably retire before things get real embarrassing, but the athlete, either by his own accord or convincing of his close personal circle, decides to keep playing even though it’s probably past time he hangs it up. These 3 NFL Players have hung or are trying to hang on too long, it’s time they retire ASAP before they do any more harm to their great careers.

Peyton Manning – QB Indianapolis Colts

Peyton Manning is without question one of the greatest Quarterbacks in NFL history. The only 4-time NFL MVP, Manning is also an 11-time Pro Bowl selection, 5-time first-team All-Pro, fastest QB to reach 50,000 passing yards and 4,000 completions. Nobody would argue the point that Manning is the greatest Colt of all-time, Manning has led the Colts to a Super Bowl Title, another Super Bowl appearance, 8 division Titles, 10 playoff appearances, and holds many too many Colts records to speak of. For all the success the Colts have had the past 12 years, critics have said the Colts are a one man team built around Manning, and without him they would be nothing. Manning had neck surgery on May 23 rd of this year with the feeling he would be ready for the start of the 2011 NFL season, however Manning had a setback with his surgery and had a second procedure done on his neck three days before the start of the season. Manning is basically done for the 2011 season. The Colts, as expected, are a very bad team without him. They are the only winless team in the NFL and have not looked competitive in a game in weeks. At their current pace, The Colts will have the number 1 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and are primed to draft Manning’s successor at QB, Stanford QB Andrew Luck. Surely, if the Colts draft Luck, he will start from day 1 and Manning will have played his last game with the Colts. Not only the thought of Manning playing for another team is crazy enough, Manning will be trying to play with a neck he’s had an operation on three times in 19 months. Manning takes even one bad hit and he could be facing paralysis. I think Manning should take this as a sign he should retire and go the next phase of his life and prepare to write his Hall-of-fame speech to receive that hideous yellow jacket.

Donovan McNabb – QB Minnesota Vikings

Donovan McNabb has had a distinguished career since being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1999 NFL Draft, being named to six Pro Bowls, and leading the Eagles to five NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl appearance. The Eagles, however, must have felt McNabb didn't have much to offer as a player when they traded him to a division rival in the Washington Redskins before the 2010 season. McNabb had an awful 2010 season, clashing with Redskins Head Coach Mike Shanahan and his son, Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan. The Shanahans quickly lost faith in McNabb, questioned his condition and preparedness, and insinuated McNabb was finished as a starting NFL Quarterback. McNabb suffered a personal indignity when he was benched for the final 3 games of the 2010 for Rex Grossman (Rex Grossman! Enough said.) McNabb had been given a fresh start, traded to the Minnesota Vikings after the lockout ended for a sixth-round draft pick in 2012 and a conditional sixth-round draft pick in 2013. This was McNabb’s final chance to prove his doubters wrong, that he still had what it takes to play a productive level in the NFL. Unlike the Redskins coaching staff, the Vikings coaching staff gave him every opportunity to succeed. McNabb also had the security of having the best running back in the NFL, Adrian Peterson, right behind him on every snap to take pressure off him against opposing defenses. McNabb however proved his doubters right as wasn’t the player he was five or even two years ago. McNabb led the Vikings to a 1-4 start before being benched during their Sunday night football loss to the Chicago Bears for the team’s 2011 first-round pick, QB Christian Ponder. Now the backup/mentor to the team franchise’s Quarterback, McNabb’s days a viable NFL starter are over. He’s nothing more than a journeyman QB just lucky to be on a NFL roster. McNabb’s drop’s from the NFL elite was sudden, but the decision for him to retire should be obvious.

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Terrell Owens – WR Free Agent

Despite contributing to the destruction of no less than 3 NFL teams, in my opinion Terrell Owens is a NFL Hall-of-Famer. Owens is one of only 7 receivers to have 1,000 receptions in his career (1,078), 2 nd all-time in receiving yards (15,934), and is 4 th all-time in total touchdowns (156). There’s positives and negatives to having Owens on your NFL franchise; The positives: Owens is a productive player when given significant playing time, and he keeps himself in superb condition, so barring a major injury he will be on the football field as much as possible. The negatives: Owens has played 15 NFL seasons and is 37 years old (he’ll be 38 on December 7 th). Owens is also a locker room cancer when he wants to be, and that is something a NFL team doesn’t want to have around. The moment I knew and Owens himself knew he should have retired happened in the offseason he underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in one of his knees. Owens has recovered from his surgery and a few weeks ago even had a public workout to show NFL teams what he had left. It is pretty telling no NFL teams showed up at the workout and he received only one offer – from the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League. Owens should realize because of his age and reputation, no team would ever consider signing him. The NFL has made the decision to retire Terrell Owens, all he has to do is realize it, sign those retirements papers, and prepare for his Hall-of-Fame induction in five years.

By: Gerald M. Britts
Pro Football Fans Staff Writer