NFL Free Agency Speculation: 10 Free Agents Who Could Retire If Unsigned
The NFL is constantly populated with a surplus of veterans on their last leg.
Some of these players have left their home teams—the teams that made them famous—while others have been mercenaries for the majority of their career.
Either way, they're all seeking the same ultimate goal: to find a new home that could possibly generate for them one final shot at glory.
There have been success stories in the past, such as Arizona Cardinals' quarterback Kurt Warner, who was able to revive his career by taking the Cardinals to a Super Bowl in 2008.
Warner was a rare case, however.
The truth is that most of these players are facing unfavorable odds, but that won't stop the majority of them from attempting a revival. Some will succeed, maybe, while others will be forced to face reality and give up the game they love.
Marc Bulger (Quarterback, Baltimore Ravens)
1 of 10
Quarterback Marc Bulger rapidly entered the NFL's spotlight during the 2002 season.
Under the guidance of quarterback Kurt Warner, the Rams went to two Super Bowls (1999, 2001) and won one (1999). So it came as a bit of a shock when the face of all that success was replaced by a third-string quarterback.
During the 2002 season, Warner obtained a thumb injury on his throwing hand, which caused him to only start six games that season. And even during his six starts he was not very effective, due to the injury.
The man who replaced Warner for seven of the games that year was Bulger, who showed enough on the field to win the starting job for the next seven season.
Bulger had his good times, which included two Pro Bowl seasons (2003, 2006), but he also had bad times, such as the last three seasons of his career is St. Louis (2007-2009), in which the team won a combined six games in three years.
Some say the only reason Bulger ever produced was because he was surrounded by an elite offense, while others suggest that no quarterback could've survived the beating Bulger suffered behind that offensive line.
Regardless, Bulger was released following the 2009 season, and he spent the 2010 season as a backup behind Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens.
Some suggest that Bulger is an attractive option for some quarterback-desperate teams, such as the Arizona Cardinals.
If he does have a desire to start somewhere and fails to find that opportunity, then it's possible he'll just cut his losses and retire if no team offers him a job.
Matt Hasselbeck (Quarterback, Seattle Seahawks)
2 of 10
Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has been the face of the Seattle Seahawks for quite some time now, including during their 2005 Super Bowl appearance against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Unfortunately for Seattle, Hasselbeck is getting old (35) and hasn't had a productive season since 2007.
The team does not have complete faith in quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, who they acquired last year in a trade with San Diego, which means the team will likely opt to keep Hasselbeck for at least one more season.
However, if for any reason the decide that the Hasselbeck era is over and refuse to re-sign him, then he will likely retire rather than start fresh for another team, as he'd struggle to find a starting job on a different team.
Brett Favre (Quarterback, Minnesota Vikings)
3 of 10
It's a very difficult thing to predict, but it seems as though quarterback Brett Favre will finally retire, regardless of whether or not a team is willing to sign him.
It's completely understandable that Favre wanted to return for the 2010 season, given that he came ever-so close to his third Super Bowl appearance in 2009 for the Minnesota Vikings, but they lost the NFC Championship game to the New Orleans Saints.
He tried to recapture the magic of the 2009 season for the Vikings in 2010, but the effort was nothing short of embarrassing; the team went 6-10 and Favre was mediocre in his 13 starts.
The past three seasons have been generating tons of drama and theatrics regarding Favre's contemplations of retirement, but the 2010 season was likely the nail in the coffin. He is considered to be officially retired by most people.
However, he might once again feel the itch to play again later this summer. The only problem is that there might not be a team willing to sign him, and there's not a chance he'll take a role as a backup.
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Ricky Williams (Running Back, Miami Dolphins)
4 of 10
Even when he was in college, Ricky Williams has been a quirky character who's difficult to predict.
Throughout his football career, Williams has shown disinterest and has seemed at times a bit withdrawn from the game of football, which is clearly evident based on his early retirement prior to the 2004 season, at the age of 27.
Even after he returned to the NFL a year later, he had multiple league violations that stemmed from drug use.
However, despite his early retirement and multiple suspensions, he's been able to repeatedly defy odds and remain productive, even last season as a 33-year-old.
He's also clearly comfortable in a backup role, as he's been playing behind running back Ronnie Brown on the Miami Dolphins for several years.
His willingness to accept a secondary role and his ability to defy odds could make Williams an appealing option in the free agency market, especially for teams that use the "running back by committee" approach.
Even so, if teams momentarily hesitate to sign him, then expect his apathy to get the best of him, which would result in his permanent retirement.
Tony Richardson (Fullback, New York Jets)
5 of 10
We were all inspired by fullback Tony Richardson's leadership skills during the latest season of the show Hard Knocks on HBO.
He made the team due to his veteran leadership, although the coaches flirted with the idea of cutting him.
Now that the team has second-year fullback John Conner ready to be a starter, there are not a lot of reasons to keep Richardson around, especially since the team lost utility player Danny Woodhead to the New England Patriots due to their insistence to keep Richardson.
Richardson certainly has the heart to play for another team, but at the age of 39, he may decide enough is enough, and call it a career.
Randy Moss (Wide Receiver, Tennessee Titans)
6 of 10
Next to Jerry Rice, Randy Moss is possibly the best wide receiver to ever play the game. And next to Terrell Owens, he might be the most obnoxious receiver to ever play.
He became widely known as one of the best receivers in the NFL, even as a rookie for the Minnesota Vikings when he accumulated 1,313 yards and 17 touchdowns during his first season.
Moss seemingly disappeared when he left the Vikings to sign with the Oakland Raiders in 2005, but he made a magnificent comeback for the New England Patriots in 2007, racking up 1,493 yards and 23 touchdowns for Patriots team that went 16-0 during the regular season.
But after the Patriots released him four games into the 2010 season, he played for both the Minnesota Vikings and the Tennessee Titans and had little influence on either team.
You'd think a rare talent like Moss would be an option for at least one team, even at the age of 34, but if teams back off, then he might call it quits.
Terrell Owens (Wide Receiver, Cincinnati Bengals)
7 of 10
Terrell Owens is possibly the most obnoxious player to ever play the game, but he's also one of the best wide receivers of all time.
The Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys were able to overlook any character concerns surrounding Owens because his talent was just too great to ignore.
Owens' age caught up with him after his three-year tenure in Dallas, so the talent-to-risk ratio as been tipping out of his favor as of late.
However, he's been on his best behavior for several years now, and he still has a little bit of juice left, which is why the Buffalo Bills gave him a chance in 2009, as well as the Cincinnati Bengals in 2010.
As long as he behaves, there will be some teams willing to sign him, but if not, then he's likely at the end of his career.
Chad (Johnson) Ochocinco (Wide Receiver, Cincinnati Bengals)
8 of 10
Unlike wide receivers with size, such as Terrell Owens and Randy Moss, receivers that rely solely of their speed have shorter careers.
A big receiver can still do their job at a later age without burning speed, whereas a speed receiver loses his only advantage with age.
Chad Ochocinco is a receiver that relies on speed, and he's 33 years old.
The general feeling amongst the media is that the Cincinnati Bengals will not re-sign Ochocinco, which means he'll have to convince another team to put up with his outrageous antics—such as his touchdown celebrations and changing his last name to "Ochocinco."
A bottom-dwelling team might give him a chance, since Ochocinco will sell tickets at the very least. But the majority of teams will feel that his production is not worth the circus act.
If Ochocinco does not receive any compelling offers, then he might consider hanging it up, and he'll likely change his last name back to "Johnson" when the show is over.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Wide Receiver, Baltimore Ravens)
9 of 10
Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh is 33 years old, and he just wrapped up an embarrassing season for the Baltimore Ravens.
In 16 games he has only 398 yards and three touchdowns, and he only started two games the entire season.
Houshmandzadeh has been a solid No. 2 receiver behind Chad Ochocinco on the Cincinnati Bengals for years now, but his time may have run out.
He will likely get attention from several teams, but if he doesn't get an appealing offer, then he is probably history.
Champ Bailey (Conerback, Denver Broncos)
10 of 10
Since the beginning of his career in 1999, cornerback Champ Bailey has been on of the most dominate corners in the entire NFL.
Though he's been able to stay relatively healthy and moderately effective, he'll still be a 33-year-old before the start of the 2011 season.
Since the Denver Broncos are starting from scratch with a new regime, they might decide to cut loose the veterans that are eating away chunks of the salary cap.
Or they might also decide that they want to keep strong veteran influences such as Bailey.
If they choose to let Bailey go, then Bailey will likely look for another team. However, if he doesn't get offers from any Super Bowl contenders, then this could be the end of the line for Bailey.
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