Swan Song: Notable NFL Players Who Could Hang 'Em Up Soon

Father Time is undefeated, no matter how great you are at anything. You can own the NFL with your skills and intelligence, but eventually those skills will start to erode, lost to the vagaries of age. 

George Blanda played in the NFL and AFL from 1949 through 1975 as a quarterback and kicker, but time took him out. Jim Marshall played defensive end at a Hall of Fame level from 1960 through 1979 and never missed a game, but as sure as anything, the couch came calling.

The gift some players give us is the illusion of beating time. Tom Brady is slinging the ball at age 40 as well as he did 15 years ago, and he may well play several more years. Drew Brees has said he'd like to play until he's 45, and at age 39, he looks good enough on the field to pull it off.

The roster of players who might decide to pursue a life after football—and those who may have that decision made for them—after the 2018 season could fill the top third of most rosters from a talent perspective, whether in limited snaps or down after down. But for a variety of reasons, here are 10 current players who could see the upcoming season as their last.

Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants

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Eli Manning didn't expect to get benched in favor of Geno Smith in 2017, ending his 210-game consecutive start streak, but former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo made that weird decision happen against the Oakland Raiders in December, and it was one of many things that cost McAdoo his job soon after.

Now, with new head coach and former Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur calling the shots, Manning may have the opportunity to reclaim some of the game he's had—and lost to a degree—in recent seasons.

Per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press, Manning said Shurmur assured him he'll be the starting quarterback in 2018. Manning has two years left on a five-year, $101.5 million contract extension he signed in 2015. He's owed $15.5 million in salary and bonuses in 2018 and $16.5 million in salary and bonuses in 2019.

Where it gets complicated for Manning and the Giants is in recent performance and salary-cap obligation.

Manning hasn't been quite as inefficient as he was in 2013, when he led the league with 27 interceptions, but his yards-per-attempt and net-yards-gained-per-attempt totals have decreased in each of the last four seasons. This coincides with decreasing accuracy with his deep passes—something apparent on film.

If he doesn't improve in 2018, the Giants would have given up $22.2 million for a quarterback who finished 23rd in Football Outsiders' opponent-adjusted metrics and 26th in B/R's NFL1000 rankings last season. How likely do you think it is that they'd be willing to give up that kind of money in 2019 for that kind of performance?

The Giants can gain back millions in cap room by cutting Manning in either of the next two seasons. If they take a quarterback for the second straight season, with 2017 third-rounder Davis Webb waiting in the wings, Manning might take a hint and go in a different direction. Whether that's with another team or at the end of his professional road, Manning's decline in performance is a stark reality.

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers

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Soon after the Steelers' 2016 season ended in an AFC Championship loss to the Patriots, Big Ben said on 93.7 The Fan (h/t SI.com) that he might be ready to move on from football.

"I'm gonna take this offseason to evaluate, to consider all options, to consider health and family and things like that and just kind of take some time away to evaluate next season—if there's gonna be a next season."

There was a next season in 2017, and Ben Roethlisberger played well—he completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 4,251 yards, 28 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in the regular season. He backed that up with a five-touchdown performance in Pittsburgh's 45-42 divisional-round loss to the Jaguars. Not much more he could have done there.

The day of that playoff loss, Roethlisberger told reporters he was planning to return for the 2018 season. Team owner Art Rooney II said in early February that he's open to extending the contract of his franchise quarterback—a contract that ends in 2019 and has the team paying him $12 million in salary and $5 million in roster bonuses in each of the next two seasons.

One of the reasons for Roethlisberger's change of heart, per sources I talked with at the Super Bowl and scouting combine, was the quarterback's fractious relationship with former offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

Head coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement a few days after the Jaguars loss that Haley's contract would not be renewed, and the replacement of Haley with Randy Fichtner—the team's longtime quarterbacks coach, who Roethlisberger considers "his guy"—seems to have pushed things in a more positive direction.

Still, there's no guarantee Roethlisberger will stick around past 2018, and that has a lot to do with his health and his concern about life after football. Recent studies linking head trauma to CTE had an effect on Roethlisberger, as he told Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in July 2017.

"There's a lot of scary things, and I think my wife would be OK if I hung it up, too," he said. "But I still love the guys, I still love the game, so it was right for me to come back and give it everything I have this year."

What that means in the years beyond is unclear.

Adrian Peterson, RB, Free Agent

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The longtime Vikings running back was acquired by the Cardinals from the Saints last October after it became clear that Peterson didn't jell with Sean Payton's offense in the Big Easy.

Adrian Peterson was a bit better in Bruce Arians' offense in the Valley of the Sun, but he only lasted until Week 12, when a neck injury put him on injured reserve. With David Johnson fully healthy after a lost 2017 season, Arizona made the decision to release Peterson in March, and he's now a free agent.

Peterson recently told ESPN's Josina Anderson that his neck is completely healed and that he's looking forward to playing in 2018. He got no takers in the initial free-agency phase, but he'll most likely get more looks closer to training camp based on his past.

The question is, what will teams find when they open the box that has the 2018 version of Peterson in it? He averaged three yards per carry with the Saints and 3.5 with the Cardinals; the draft class of running backs is heavy with talent; and though Peterson can occasionally take the ball for a decent gain, tape makes it clear that his speed through the hole and ability to bounce outside the offensive line isn't what it used to be.

Peterson may find that the market is constrictive for his services, and that may make his decision for him.

Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals

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Larry Fitzgerald has been talking about retirement for the last couple of years, and the future Hall of Famer took until mid-February to make the choice to play in 2018. With Carson Palmer retired and a Cardinals quarterback room that includes oft-injured Sam Bradford and a collection of backups, it's clear this is a team that needs a redo at the position.

Whoever is throwing the ball to Fitzgerald in 2018 will still have the benefit of one of the best possession and slot receivers in the league. Fitzgerald doesn't have the speed he once did, but coming into his 15th season, he still runs precise routes and has the quickness and physicality to get himself open. Also, whoever is throwing the ball to Fitzgerald will give him a ton of targets, as Arizona's receiver corps won't exactly inspire confidence.

Fitzgerald caught 109 passes on 161 targets for 1,156 yards and six touchdowns last season for an 8-8 team in need of development at several positions. He may be even more productive for that team in 2018, but he's getting $11 million in the last year of his current contract, and it's tough to imagine him staying around for another rebuild with new head coach Steve Wilks.

Brandon Marshall, WR, New York Giants

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The Giants offense was a disaster for many reasons in 2017, and one was Brandon Marshall's availability. He had season-ending surgery for an ankle injury in October and played in just five games, catching 18 passes for 154 yards.

When the Giants signed Marshall to a two-year, $11 million contract before the 2017 season, they were obviously hoping to get the guy who caught 109 passes for 1,502 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Jets in 2015, but Marshall may not be that player anymore.

In his last season with the Jets, Marshall caught 59 passes for 788 yards and just three touchdowns. He can still be a fairly dynamic possession receiver when healthy, but there are no guarantees for 34-year-old players at any position, particularly ones coming off ankle injuries who are required to use quickness in short areas to get separation. Marshall also has tremendous upper-body strength to help make that happen, but he needs his speed as well.

New head coach Pat Shurmur has been non-committal at best about Marshall's future with the team. Marshall has a $6.2 million cap charge for the 2018 season, and the Giants would only lose $1 million of that if they released him. If Marshall isn't able to make a full recovery in time for the 2018 season, his future may be laid out for him.

Jason Witten, TE, Dallas Cowboys

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In 2017, Jason Witten made his first Pro Bowl since 2014, though his stats weren't great—he caught 63 passes on 87 targets for 560 yards and five touchdowns. Witten hasn't been an explosive player for a number of years, but he contributes more than the stats show as a blocker in Dallas' advanced protection schemes.

One of the smarter players in the league, Witten has been wooed by Fox Sports as a television analyst; this is Fox's gambit to try to replicate Tony Romo's instant success on CBS' A-team in 2017. Witten has said that he's all in for 2018, and the Cowboys recently restructured the contract he currently has through the 2021 season to free up $3.5 million in cap room.

That's not an indicator the team is ready to move on—Dallas also restructured the contract of center Travis Frederick to free up $7 million more, per ESPN's Todd Archer, and Frederick is the best in the business.

Witten hasn't had a 1,000-yard season since 2012, when Romo was his quarterback, but there's no way the Cowboys want to lose any reliable security blankets for young quarterback Dak Prescott. If Witten hangs it up after the 2018 season, it may be because he'll be 36 years old and media opportunities become too compelling to refuse.

Antonio Gates, TE, Free Agent

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What may be Antonio Gates' final contract with the Chargers ran out after the 2017 season. Though general manager Tom Telesco met with Gates' agents at the scouting combine in February, there's no guarantees regarding the 15-year veteran's future with the team.

Gates was second in line behind Hunter Henry last season, but when Henry was lost with a kidney injury in December, Gates' productivity and opportunity increased. For a few weeks, he looked like the modern prototype player he had been at his best.

Gates isn't as quick or explosive as he once was, but the 37-year-old can still get open with physicality and outstanding route running, especially in the red zone where multi-receiver formations force defenses to put a smaller defender on him one-on-one.

If Gates doesn't return to the only NFL team he's known, you can expect him to lobby for another shot with a different franchise.

Per the Los Angeles Times' Mike Digiovanna, Gates said last December that he's "still got the juice" to play, and that a team in line for a Super Bowl opportunity would be a priority. If he's able to end his distinguished career with at least a chance at a storybook ending, that might be the perfect capper to a tenure in which he's been as valuable a player at his position as any receiving tight end in league history.

James Harrison, OLB/DE, Free Agent

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It's not like James Harrison hasn't already beaten Father Time over and over in a league where most edge-rushers start to decline severely in their early 30s—he'll be 40 in May.

After the Steelers released him in late December and the Patriots took a flier on him a few days later, Harrison went on a tear. He put up two sacks against the Jets on Dec. 31 and then provided solid run defense and some pressure through New England's playoff push.

Now a free agent, Harrison has said he will wait until after the draft to sign with his next team, and per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Pats are an interested party. As a rotational defensive end, Harrison can still bring it in limited snaps. His workouts are the stuff of legend, and that shows up on the field with his brute strength and outstanding technique to penetrate the pocket.

It's likely that Harrison will get one more shot to ply his trade, and if he's able to do so at an estimable level, it would be a stellar swan song. He'd have an opportunity to become one of three players in history to record a sack in his 40s, with Clay Matthews and Bruce Smith being the other two.

Smith is in the Hall of Fame, and while Harrison's career totals probably won't get him there, it would be a remarkable achievement.

Thomas Davis, LB, Carolina Panthers

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Thomas Davis has been an outstanding linebacker for the Panthers since he was selected in the first round of the 2005 draft. He was one of the first coverage linebackers with safety speed, and he's the only player in NFL history to continue to play at a high level after three ACL surgeries.

That's why it was so unfortunate that Davis was recently suspended for the first four games of the 2018 season for a violation of the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

"This is by far one of the saddest days of my NFL career," Davis said on Twitter. "I never thought that this would happen to me. I've worked extremely hard to do things the right way on and off the field. Panther Nation, please know that I am not a cheater."

A heartfelt claim, and given the respect with which Davis is viewed around the league, it may not affect his legacy too harshly. He will likely play a reduced role with the Panthers in the final year of his current contract, and he's already said he wants to retire after the 2018 season.

Perhaps an outstanding season might change his mind, but Davis has already given more to the game than most.

DeAngelo Hall, DB, Free Agent

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Most 34-year-old defensive backs are about ready to move on from their demanding positions, and it would appear that DeAngelo Hall should at least consider this.

Over the last three season, the Redskins have moved him from cornerback to safety and slot defender, and this wasn't a schematic concern—more the old-school repositioning that happens when cornerbacks lose their trail speed.

Moreover, Hall has played in just eight games over the last two seasons, with only five starts. He played through several injuries in 2017 and didn't show the quickness he used to. Hall hasn't had an interception since the 2013 season, and while he's still a decent tackler close to the line of scrimmage, he doesn't have the speed to bring consistent short and intermediate coverage.

Now a free agent, Hall has said that he might be interested in coaching or broadcasting in the future. Perhaps he can convince a team with a young secondary to take a flier on him for his short-area tackling ability and veteran acumen to diagnose things on the field. If not, that next career may start sooner than he expects.