This year, of course, we had Andrew Luck make a semi-shocking retirement announcement. But that is merely the latest and highest-profile instance of "quitting long before you'd get fired", of leaving the game on your terms rather than being forced out because you can't play anymore. Gronkowski too. Both of them, however, left because injuries had sapped their ability to play or prepare to play, and it was a seemingly-endless misery for them. The same is largely true of players from Jim Brown to Gale Sayers to Earl Campbell to many many others.
But it seems like an entirely different category for a player to retire despite being healthy and good enough to continue playing. We've had Calvin "Megatron" Johnson, Tiki Barber (perhaps in a fit of pique, since he unsuccessfully sought to return to the NFL), Doug Baldwin. You had Brad Butler retire at 27 in 2010 because he wanted to get into politics. Jake Plummer retired at 32 rather than play for the TB Bucs. Chris Borland wanted to give back, and works at the Carter Center (as in Jimmy).
Now today we have a lengthy profile of Vontae Davis, two-time pro bowler for the Colts who, famously, retired at halftime of a Bills-Chargers game, just had a sudden realization that this wasn't what he wanted to do anymore and suddenly felt enormously anxious being at that game, so he left. And retired.
It's a good article, the guy sounds like he's in good mental health even if he's pretty beat up overall, and he has a plan for what he wants to do next. I hope many others are so lucky. And I'll always remember Davis fondly.
But it's a seemingly new practice for players, making the most money they will probably ever earn, to decide that they need the NFL less than the NFL needs them. Maybe it's a trend, maybe it's just greater attention on the same ratio of free thinkers, but the generally positive coverage of these sorts of retirements seems to be almost encouraging of them - by no longer shaming or ignoring them, the NFL universe is letting all the other players know that it's (A) an option, which (B) won't generally bring shame, unless you retire at halftime of a game. So that's positive. Then again, we're not seeing that same trend from players of other major sports leagues, who generally love the game just as much but also aren't fearing for their future health. If you fight to make the majors and have a successful baseball career, and neither skill nor injury nor life circumstance parts you from that league, I'm not sure I can think offhand of a starting-quality player who just up and said "I'm done, I'm gonna go work for habitat for humanity". So that's not a good look for football in general.
But it seems like an entirely different category for a player to retire despite being healthy and good enough to continue playing. We've had Calvin "Megatron" Johnson, Tiki Barber (perhaps in a fit of pique, since he unsuccessfully sought to return to the NFL), Doug Baldwin. You had Brad Butler retire at 27 in 2010 because he wanted to get into politics. Jake Plummer retired at 32 rather than play for the TB Bucs. Chris Borland wanted to give back, and works at the Carter Center (as in Jimmy).
Now today we have a lengthy profile of Vontae Davis, two-time pro bowler for the Colts who, famously, retired at halftime of a Bills-Chargers game, just had a sudden realization that this wasn't what he wanted to do anymore and suddenly felt enormously anxious being at that game, so he left. And retired.
It's a good article, the guy sounds like he's in good mental health even if he's pretty beat up overall, and he has a plan for what he wants to do next. I hope many others are so lucky. And I'll always remember Davis fondly.
But it's a seemingly new practice for players, making the most money they will probably ever earn, to decide that they need the NFL less than the NFL needs them. Maybe it's a trend, maybe it's just greater attention on the same ratio of free thinkers, but the generally positive coverage of these sorts of retirements seems to be almost encouraging of them - by no longer shaming or ignoring them, the NFL universe is letting all the other players know that it's (A) an option, which (B) won't generally bring shame, unless you retire at halftime of a game. So that's positive. Then again, we're not seeing that same trend from players of other major sports leagues, who generally love the game just as much but also aren't fearing for their future health. If you fight to make the majors and have a successful baseball career, and neither skill nor injury nor life circumstance parts you from that league, I'm not sure I can think offhand of a starting-quality player who just up and said "I'm done, I'm gonna go work for habitat for humanity". So that's not a good look for football in general.
