Notable NFL Players Who Could Hang 'Em Up Soon

From beginning to end, the NFL is an unpredictable path to navigate. With the 2019 draft approaching, it's fun to think about which of these incoming rookies will have long and successful careers. The reality, though, is there is no way of actually knowing.

Uncertainty does not only follow the young and the unproven. Just consider that in this offseason alone, we've watched 29-year-old tight end Rob Gronkowski call it a career and 36-year-old tight end Jason Witten step out of the broadcast booth to resume playing.

There's no telling when even the most successful players are going to walk away. Educated guesses can be made, however—there were signs with Gronkowski, after all—and that's exactly what you'll find here.

These are the NFL stars who could enter retirement within the next calendar year.

Tight End Antonio Gates

Kelvin Kuo/Associated Press

Antonio Gates belongs in the conversation with Gronkowski and Witten as one of the best tight ends of his era. He's an eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro with 955 catches and 116 touchdowns to his name.

Gates is also 38 years old and coming off a season with just 28 receptions, his lowest catch total since his rookie year. The future Hall of Famer is definitely nearing the end of his career, though he does want to make one last run with the Los Angeles Chargers.

"I just don't see myself walking away with this taste," Gates said after bowing out in the postseason, per Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com.

If the Chargers do bring Gates back for another season, it will likely be his last. With fellow tight end Hunter Henry coming back from a torn ACL, Gates will be a role player at best and not part of the franchise's future.

It's difficult to see Gates playing for a different team and in a different offense if Los Angeles doesn't bring him back, so if he isn't re-signed, he may already be done.

Wide Receiver Dez Bryant

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

The warning signs for Dez Bryant were there last season. No team was willing to take a chance on the former Dallas Cowboys star until the New Orleans Saints picked him up nine weeks into the season. Bryant then proceeded to tear his Achilles, leaving his future and his career up in the air.

The Saints, who only signed Bryant to a one-year deal, have no immediate plans to bring him back.

"I just know he's been rehabbing," Saints head coach Sean Payton said, per the New Orleans Advocate. "I wouldn't be able to forecast the future relative to Dez."

Bryant is only 30 years old—he's actually younger than Antonio Brown—but he may already be at the end of his career. It's hard to see league-wide interest picking up with him spending a year away from the playing field and coming off a significant injury.

If someone does give the three-time Pro Bowler a chance, it will be on a short-term "prove it" deal, which could also be the last deal of Bryant's career.

Linebacker Terrell Suggs

Matt York/Associated Press

The Arizona Cardinals signed pass-rusher Terrell Suggs to a two-year deal this offseason, though the second year of the contract automatically voids after the Super Bowl. This means Suggs could be one-and-done in Arizona, and that could mark the final year of his career.

This will be a homecoming campaign for Suggs, who grew up in Arizona and played his college ball at Arizona State. It would be a nice send-off for the seven-time Pro Bowler if 2019 is his final season—and with Suggs turning 37 midseason, it could be.

"I wish I could play for as long as a guy in Boston, but he plays a different position than me," Suggs said, via the team's official website. "We're going to see. Only thing we're focused in on now is the now."

Suggs' future will largely hinge on his production, which dipped in 2018. He had just 7.0 sacks last season, and if he takes another step back this season, Suggs could very well decide to call it a career.

Running Back Marshawn Lynch

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

Running back Marshawn Lynch has already retired once. The five-time Pro Bowler ended his career with the Seattle Seahawks in 2016, but he came back a year later to play for his hometown Oakland Raiders. If Oakland is the only team Lynch wants to play for at this point in his career—and he's seeking a starting role—his time in the NFL may have already ended.

The Raiders are willing to bring Lynch back for another season.

"The door's always going to be open for Marshawn Lynch," head coach Jon Gruden said, per Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area. "All the doors are always going to be open for him."

However, Lynch isn't currently under contract with the Raiders. DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard are, plus Oakland added Isaiah Crowell on a one-year deal this offseason. If the five-time Pro Bowler does return to Oakland in 2019, it will be in a reduced capacity, and that role simply may not be appealing to Lynch.

Kicker Adam Vinatieri

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

If it's up to the Indianapolis Colts kicker himself, Adam Vinatieri probably won't retire in the near future.

"I love it as much today as I had when I started 23 years ago," Vinatieri said last offseason, via the team's official website. "I'm not looking to hang them up anytime soon."

Vinatieri signed a one-year deal with Indianapolis earlier this offseason, so he'll at least be around until age 47, which he'll reach in December.

However, this could be the last go for the league's all-time leading scorer. While Vinatieri is still winning over Father Time, he is no longer an elite kicker. He missed seven total kicks during the 2018 regular season, and his field-goal percentage ranked just 23rd in the NFL.

At some point, Indianapolis isn't going to want to shell out the big bucks for Vinatieri—he'll earn $3.875 million this season—and after playing for just two franchises over 24 years, Vinatieri may not want to join a third.

Cornerback Brent Grimes

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

Cornerback Brent Grimes is a four-time Pro Bowler who played well enough to start all 13 games he appeared in last season. However, he's also 35 years old and has seen his production dip over the last couple seasons.

In 2016, Grimes recorded 24 passes defended and four interceptions. He had just 11 batted passes and three picks in 2017 and just six batted passes and no interceptions last season. Grimes also lacked motivation during his 2018 campaign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"I was done. That whole year, bro, I just really was like [done]," he said, per Jenna Laine of ESPN.com.

"I would think about it," Grimes said of possibly playing for a contender this season. Given his decline and his attitude, though, there's a strong chance that no contender comes calling. This may mean we've already seen the last of Grimes.

Wide Receiver Larry Fitzgerald

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald re-upped on a one-year deal this offseason, so we know that the future Hall of Famer will be around for at least one more go. However, this latest run may well be the last of Fitzgerald's career.

The reality is that Arizona is starting over with another rebuild. The Cardinals have a new head coach in Kliff Kingsbury and a young quarterback in Josh Rosen—and even if Rosen is replaced, it will be with another young quarterback.

At some point, even Fitzgerald will be pushed out of the process, and when the Cardinals are done with him, Fitzgerald will likely be done with football.

"If I'm not playing in Arizona, I won't be playing anywhere," Fitzgerald said last offseason, per Jace Frederick of the Pioneer Press.

When Fitzgerald does hang 'em up, it will mark the end of an era in Arizona.

*All contract information via Spotrac.