Tag: Retirement

Saints fullback Zach Line announces his retirement

The New Orleans Saints lost fullback Zach Line to retirement on Wednesday, with the former SMU Mustangs star going out on his own terms.

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The New Orleans Saints need to find a new fullback in 2020. Veteran fullback Zach Line, 29, announced his retirement from the NFL in a post from his official Instagram account Wednesday afternoon. His contract was set to expire in March, but he’s choosing to step away from the game on his own terms.

In his post, Line thanked the Saints for the opportunity to play with them as well as the Minnesota Vikings, who gave him his first shot at playing professionally. He retires having played 80 games in the NFL (including the playoffs; 36 with the Vikings and 44 with the Saints) during his seven-year career. He was the rare fullback who could contribute not just as a lead-blocker but as a runner himself, as well as in the receiving game in a pinch. He scored seven touchdowns in the NFL, all but one of them for New Orleans.

Losing an experienced fullback is a bigger problem for the Saints than it appears at first glance. While the position is an endangered species in the NFL at large, the Saints were one of few teams to still use them frequently in 2019. Line averaged 17.9 snaps per game last year before going down with a knee injury. He was replaced by practice squad call-up Ricky Ortiz, who played 20 snaps in the Saints’ final two contests.

To illustrate Line’s importance to the offense a little more clearly: at midseason, only two fullbacks had played more snaps in the entire NFL than his total of 140, being CJ Ham (195 for the Vikings) and Kyle Juszczyk (152 with the San Francisco 49ers). It’s a position Saints coach Sean Payton obviously values.

Ortiz is the likely favorite to replace Line next season, but it’s no sure thing. It would make sense for the team to consider all possible options in free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft, and they could possibly target someone like Line, who played running back in college. He was an accomplished rusher for the SMU Mustangs, having graduated with 778 attempts for 4,185 rushing yards and 47 touchdowns on the ground. He also caught 75 passes for 599 receiving yards. That versatility speaks for itself and explains why the Saints made him a key part of their offense, even if he didn’t often handle the ball himself.

View this post on Instagram

As I look back on the last seven seasons in the NFL I cannot help but to feel extremely proud. I have never bragged about my accomplishments, but knowing the odds and ignoring them, and choosing to instead believe in myself, my faith, and the support of my loving wife and family is something I am proud of. The decision to retire is NOT easy, which is true for most competitors. This decision is something I have prayed about and communicated with those that I love. The game of football will never leave me and I hope to share and teach the positive experiences I had along the way in the future. A HUGE thank you to all of my brothers, coaches and staff along the way, I love you guys. A HUGE thank you to the team that gave me my first shot @vikings and to the team that made football fun again @saints . Another HUGE thank you to the WHODAT Nation, there is nothing like it, my family loves you. The game is temporary, but in this business brotherhood and alliances are forever. A special thank you to @mckenzieline none of this was possible without you and I love you.

A post shared by Zach Line (@zline48) on

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Seahawks ‘open to whatever’ regarding Marshawn Lynch returning next season

Coach Pete Carroll said the Seattle Seahawks to open to bringing back running back Marshawn Lynch in a similar role next season.

The Seattle Seahawks made their push through the playoffs with the help from an old friend after signing Marshawn Lynch back to the roster following the loss of running backs Rashaad Penny, C.J. Prosise and starter Chris Carson to injuries.

Lynch logged four rushing touchdowns for Seattle in his three games played. Everyone now wonders whether or not he’ll be back for another season.

“He’s going to go home and think about it,” coach Pete Carroll said Monday. “We were all very fortunate to have a chance to see Marshawn come back and play again. To score four touchdowns in the last three weeks it was pretty cool. Just being Marshawn down inside the 5-yard line, he was nails.

“I don’t know, I don’t know what he’s going to do. I don’t think he knows yet.”

Although Lynch may not be able to return to the game as an every-down-back, there is a chance the Seahawks could use him in a similar manner in the future. Carroll was asked whether or not Seattle would entertain the notion of a partial-season arrangement again.

“I don’t know, we’re open to whatever,” Carroll explained. “We’ll look at everything. I can’t tell you right now.”

Lynch is just one of a number of players set to hit unrestricted free agency in the spring and the bump in this year’s salary cap should help Seattle in piecing together the 2020 roster.

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Bobby Wagner reacts to linebacker Luke Kuechly’s early retirement

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner posted a heartfelt tweet to Carolina’s Luke Kuechly, who announced his retirement on Twitter.

Since joining the league together in 2012, linebackers Bobby Wagner and Luke Kuechly have been compared to each other – and it’s not hard to see why.

Kuechly joined the Panthers as the ninth overall pick and immediately went to work as an elite middle linebacker, ultimately making seven Pro Bowls and five All-Pro nods in his illustrious career, which came to an end on Tuesday when he announced in an emotional Twitter video that he was retiring.

Kuechly was widely considered among the top two linebackers in the NFL during his career, often alongside Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner, who has made six Pro Bowl appearances and is a five-time All-Pro, beginning his career the same season after getting selected by Seattle 38 picks later in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Wagner delivered a heartfelt message on Twitter to Kuechly, saying “The game is losing a great one.”

While fans may be happy no more Kuechly vs. Wagner debates can rage on in future seasons, the league is losing one of it’s finest middle linebackers, and it’s another reminder how much of a physical, and mental, toll this game takes on these players.

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Michael Thomas salutes Luke Kuechly’s decision to retire

New Orleans Saints wideout Michael Thomas hates to see one of his favorite rivals, Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, retire so soon

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New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas is one of the NFL’s fastest-rising stars, but even he was taken aback at the news that Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly was retiring, stepping away from the game at 28. The list of players who get repeatedly recognized as first-team All-Pros is brief, but Thomas and Kuechly were part of that small fraternity despite their usual status as division rivals.

So Thomas took some time Tuesday evening to express his appreciation for what Kuechly has accomplished and how challenging an opponent he was to prepare for, even if the five-time All-Pro won’t see it — Thomas noted wryly that Kuechly is such a professional that he doesn’t use social media, because “he is that different.”

It’s crystal-clear that Thomas enjoyed the elevated stakes that came with planning for and playing against Kuechly’s Panthers defenses, adding that, “Meetings were always a little longer, and gameplans a little more complex. He kept you honest.”

So what’s Thomas’s next step? He’s going to track Kuechly down for a personal meeting to shake hands and pay his respects, wishing his longtime rival well in life after football. That rare camaraderie is what it’s what it’s all about.

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Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, longtime Saints rival, retires at 28

Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly shocked the New Orleans Saints and the NFL with an announcement of his retirement from football.

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Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly announced his retirement Tuesday evening in a video shared from the official Panthers Twitter account, sending a shockwave throughout the NFL. His decision to step away from the game at 28 carries huge ramifications for the New Orleans Saints, the Panthers themselves, and every other team in the NFC South.

It’s been a big day for the Panthers, who reportedly hired former assistant and LSU Tigers coach Joe Brady to work as offensive coordinator underneath new head coach Matt Rhule. But Kuechly’s sudden retirement has to loom largest in Charlotte.

There’s no doubt about it: Kuechly was one of the best players in the NFL over the past decade, totaling 1,092 tackles in 118 games since the Panthers drafted him out of Boston College back in 2012. He’s been selected for seven Pro Bowl games and been named a first-team All-Pro on five different occasions, providing Saints quarterback Drew Brees with a rare opponent who can play chess with him each time they crossed paths thanks to his unique blend of all-world athleticism and natural comprehension of the sport.

When asked to list the toughest opponents he’d ever faced, Kuechly named Brees and Saints running back Alvin Kamara in a 2019 article with The Players’ Tribune; the feeling was mutual between Brees and Saints coach Sean Payton, who talked about Kuechly’s impact on the game at length back in 2018. His loss is going to be felt immediately in Carolina.

Kuechly’s retirement is the latest in a string of early exits from the NFL by young, elite star talent, each of them having cited injuries. Indianapolis Colts franchise quarterback Andrew Luck retired at 30 just last year; Super Bowl hero New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, also 30, bowed out a few months before that. Kuechly has suffered a serious of disquieting concussions over the last few years, and seemed to hint at the lingering impact those brain injuries have left on him in his announcement. Here’s hoping he finds peace in retirement.

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Antonio Gates announces he’s retiring from the NFL

Antonio Gates is calling it a career.

After missing the entire 2019-2020 football season, future Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates is finally calling it a career. He played in the NFL for 16 years — every season with the Chargers.

Gates officially announced his retirement in a statement on Twitter Tuesday afternoon.

I never dreamed that I would play this game of football for so long or how fortunate I would be to play it with just one organization. I want to thank the Chargers organization, the National Football League, Dean Spanos and the Spanos family for the opportunity to live out a dream and play the game I love. 

Shortly after his announcement, the Chargers dropped a pretty dope video honoring Gates and changed his number to their Twitter profile picture.

Gates left it all on the field and will undoubtedly be a Hall of Famer as one of the greatest tight ends ever. Yet, still, we’re left with so many questions.

What if he had won a Super Bowl? What if he left the Chargers? What if someone else just drafted him instead of letting him become an undrafted free agent?

Personally, I only have one. What if he chose basketball? Honestly! He was basically Kent State’s version of LeBron James. Just check the numbers.

Anyway, none of that matters. Shout out to Gates for a phenomenal career. Next time we see him he’ll be in Canton.

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WATCH: Former Cowboys star Terrell Owens thinks franchise should sign Tom Brady

The way Terrell Owens sees it, owner Jerry Jones doesn’t believe in Dak Prescott so he aught to sign Tom Brady.

The Cowboys have their new coach, now former Dallas Cowboys star Terrell Owens has an idea for a solution at quarterback.

The way Owens sees it, owner Jerry Jones doesn’t believe in Dak Prescott so he aught to sign Tom Brady, since the Patriots great is set to become a free agent in March.

During a radio interview with 95.7 The Game – Bay Area, Owens said this week, “They have a quarterback that’s a free agent in Tom Brady, that’s the next move.”

T.O. continued by speaking about Jones’ decision-making process by saying, “He hasn’t extended Dak’s contract. So, that leads me to believe he truly doesn’t believe in Dak. If he had, then I think he would have already got a contract extension.”

While Prescott is still waiting on an extension after playing out the final year of his rookie contract in 2019. But NFL Network reported in November that Prescott is headed toward the franchise tag as the designated quarterback for the future of the franchise.

Owens though, must not be buying it.

Why a team would want Brady goes without saying. The six-time Super Bowl champ could become a free agent for the first time in his career this spring. At 42-years-old, Brady’s retirement status was questioned over the course of the 2019 season.

On Wednesday, though Brady posted a thank you to his fans on Instagram, writing “I know I still have more to prove,” and to Owens, Brady has it to prove in Dallas.

Former Cowboys star Terrell Owens thinks franchise should sign Tom Brady (Cowboyswire)

The way Terrell Owens sees it, owner Jerry Jones doesn’t believe in Dak Prescott so he aught to sign Tom Brady, since the Patriots great is set to become a free agent in March.

The way Terrell Owens sees it, owner Jerry Jones doesn’t believe in Dak Prescott so he aught to sign Tom Brady, since the Patriots great is set to become a free agent in March.

Former Cowboys star Terrell Owens thinks franchise should sign Tom Brady (Patriotswire)

The way Terrell Owens sees it, owner Jerry Jones doesn’t believe in Dak Prescott so he aught to sign Tom Brady, since the Patriots great is set to become a free agent in March.

The way Terrell Owens sees it, owner Jerry Jones doesn’t believe in Dak Prescott so he aught to sign Tom Brady, since the Patriots great is set to become a free agent in March.