#nfl-retirement

#nfl-retirement

What an incredible ride it was. I was blessed to be around some of the greatest people this sport has to offer. I always wanted to leave each place better than how I found it and with that I can hang my hat. Forever grateful for my family and brothers! Cheers.

Not long ago, most NFL players - linemen, certainly - couldn't up and quit at the peak of their earning potential because their earnings weren't enough to ensure a lifetime of financial stability. Instead, they did what football players do - button their chin strap and play as long as their name remained on a roster. The risk of serious injury - including concussions - was simply the price of staying in the business.

"What a ride it's been!" Havenstein wrote in a post on Instagram. "I can look back on my career and smile knowing I have given everything I had and more to the game I love. "In saying that, I am officially retiring from the NFL." Havenstein, the longest-tenured Rams player on the roster last season, thanked his teammates and coaches, the Rams organization and his parents and wife for their support.

"With the brain injuries, you don't really see it ... until you get older sometimes," said Ward, who is 29 and just finished the first season of a three-year, $54 million contract with the Colts.

Wagner remains highly productive in between the tackles. He's already beaten his tackle mark from last season with 142, and he also has four sacks. However, the cracks have begun to show when he is isolated and tasked with coverage responsibilities. Perhaps more concerningly, opposing offenses are actively trying to exploit him as a weak link. The former Utah State standout was brilliant against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16.

Defensive end Brandon Graham has decided to come out of retirement and is finalizing a deal to rejoin the Philadelphia Eagles this week, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday. Graham, the longest-tenured player in franchise history, will suit up for his 16th season. In a video posted to social media, he teased a special announcement on his podcast "Unblocked" at 9 a.m. Tuesday. The move comes on the heels of Za'Darius Smith's sudden retirement last week.

Can we just make it official and sign [Gronkowski] for a day so he can retire as a Patriot?

"Football has given me more than I could have ever imagined. Purpose, discipline, brotherhood, and a platform to impact others. But most importantly it showed me who I am outside the game."

"As I hang up my cleats, I'm filled with a gratitude as I close this chapter of my life and officially retire from the game that's shaped me in every way."

I credit my father as "my idol, my coach, and my anchor." He taught me what it meant to let go when the time was right.

Wes Schweitzer retires after nine seasons in the NFL, being placed on the retirement list by the Patriots following brief tenures with the Jets and Washington.