10 NFL Free Agents Who Might as Well Retire Now

In every professional sport, there are those few players who cling to the end of their careers even though the inevitable is soon to come.  This is not an inconceivable thing considering this sport has been the center of their lives for roughly the past 25 years. 

As football great Brett Favre and basketball legend Michael Jordan have shown us, retiring is not the easiest thing to do for an athlete. 

Retiring typically means the player is officially done either due to the wear and tear on their bodies or the dimming of their passion for the sport.  Either way, it is a sad era for any professional to give up what they loved to do. 

However, although it is sad to see someone leave the game, sometimes it is recommended and even necessary for a player to retire.  Having that player on the squad sometimes affects the team negatively and at times can just make it uncomfortable for fans to watch. 

Especially in the game of football, where there is arguably the most contact of any sport, the body can wear down quickly. 

Even the most athletic people typically only have a six-year career span in the NFL.  Obviously, that number is different for different players.  For example, quarterbacks will typically have a longer career in the league versus running backs who are getting hit on almost every play of the game. 

All in all, there are plenty of players in the game today that fans would love to see retire either out of love and respect or annoyance. 

Either way, here are some players that should think about retirement now.  

LaDainian Tomlinson

LaDainian Tomlinson is one of the greatest backs to ever play the game of football. 

Regardless of where his career is now or in the future, he is going into the Hall of Fame after he retires.

Admittedly, I have never been a huge follower of Tomlinson, but that does not mean I did not have the highest respect toward him. 

During his years playing for the San Diego Chargers, Tomlinson played like a man among boys.  Every time he touched the ball, fans believed he was running it in for a touchdown.

During his tenure with San Diego from 2001 to 2009, he amassed 12,490 yards rushing, which averages out to roughly 1,388 yards per season as a Charger.  As most fans know, those numbers are incredible—especially considering eight out of those nine years he totaled more than 1,000 yards per season. 

With all those accolades, he still has yet to win a Super Bowl, which is probably why he is still playing the game today. 

However, for a player of that caliber, it would be a shame to see him leave on somebody else’s terms. 

Tomlinson should retire either now or soon on his own terms to end his storied career the right way.  

Donovan McNabb

The Philadelphia Eagles have a knack for letting players go that they see have tapped out of their production capabilities. 

Donovan McNabb is no exception.

After being replaced by Michael Vick in 2009, McNabb traveled to Washington to make his debut with the Redskins. 

Needless to say, there was much speculation on how well he would do with a new team after playing for so many years in Philadelphia.

McNabb managed to have a decent year but by no means close to what fans, coaches and players expected him to achieve. 

He finished that year with a quarterback rating of 77.1, and although he threw for 3,377 yards that season (which is roughly what he has been gaining in previous years) he only completed 58.3 percent of his passes. 

His turnover ratio is one of the biggest concerns for teams looking at him as well.  In his last three years on the Eagles, he threw 11, 10 and 15 interceptions respectively.  Although those can be countered by the 23 and 22 touchdowns he threw on the Eagles, the 14 touchdowns he had with Washington only made his 15 interceptions shine on the stat sheet. 

Finally, this past season he wound up with the Minnesota Vikings.

McNabb was poised to be a starter and potentially make a career comeback playing with a solid defense and the league's premier back in Adrian Peterson.  However, when all was said and done, he was replaced by rookie Christian Ponder and has yet to see the field on any team.  

McNabb was a great quarterback in his prime, having great scramble ability and elusiveness to avoid rushers.  But he has reached that time in his career when retiring should be his No. 1 priority. 

He does not have the same ability to lose defenders, and it looks like he is just too worn down to become a starting quarterback in the league today.  

Jeff Saturday

Jeff Saturday is one of the game's best centers. 

Whether that is because he plays with a Hall of Fame quarterback in Peyton Manning is up for debate. 

However, what is not up for debate is that the job he has done with Manning has produced wins and even a Super Bowl championship.

Saturday has been in this league for a total of 13 years and is not getting any younger. 

Although 13 years for a lineman is incredible to begin with, most of that has to do with the fact that he was in sync at all times with Manning.  They both understood each other on the field and saw the game roughly the same way.

Even in times when Manning was injured, such as this past season, he has gone out there to do his job to the best of his abilities.  However, after the surgery to Peyton Manning, it is tough to say how well the Colts will do toward the end of Saturday’s career.

Nothing in Saturday’s play has shown that he is incapable of playing for a few more years.  However, with the Colts being in flux the way they are, it is a topic of discussion for many players and fans on whether Indianapolis will be a championship contender for the next three or four years. 

Even with Peyton back in the lineup, there is still the question of how effective he can or will be when he gets back on the field.  The Colts have no significant running backs and their defense is aging very quickly.  If Saturday continues to play, it seems as though he will be playing with little chance of winning another Super Bowl.

It would be nice to see Saturday retire now instead of putting his body through a couple more years of punishment for a struggling playoff team.  

Ronde Barber

Ronde Barber continues to defy football logic and is playing at a pretty decent level in spite of his age. 

He has been in the league 15 years, and at 36 years of age, he's still picking off some of the game's best quarterbacks.

This past year, Barber has three interceptions and is one of the game's vets at the corner position. 

Barber has played all 15 years on the same team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  He is one of the faces of the organization and is a beloved member of the NFL community. 

If Barber plays for another five to eight years, I would not be surprised. 

However, realistically he probably has a couple more years left in the tank, but it seems wrong to have a player like Ronde retire due to a lack in productivity. 

Having a decent year this year, it would be nice to see Barber leave on a good note and retire.  

E.J. Henderson

The Minnesota Vikings appear to be on the cusp of the playoffs every year. 

The defense, especially the run defense, has always been solid, and that is largely in part due to the linebacker E.J. Henderson. 

He is only in his ninth year in the league, but he has put on some heavy minutes playing for a consistently tough run defense. 

Although his best year statistically looks to be in 2007, Henderson is still playing at a decent level.

That is mainly why saying that Henderson should retire seems difficult to say.  However, looking at his future long term and what he wants to achieve really puts his retirement into question. 

For example, although nine years in the league is not too heavy, it is not very light either.  Those nine years put a toll on players—especially those who are involved in hard-hitting tackles for most of the game. 

Also, if he is looking for a Super Bowl to add to his resume, it seems unlikely the Vikings organization is going to help him achieve it.

With a rookie quarterback, an injured Adrian Peterson and a defense that is under constant stress due to the lack of production from the offense, his body is looking to withstand a barrage of wear and tear towards the end of his career. 

Henderson is one of the better linebackers in the league, and although he will most likely continue playing for a few more years, he should think about retirement now before his body gives out and he is forced to retire instead of choosing to do so.  

London Fletcher

London Fletcher is a 14-year veteran who has played for three different teams in his career. 

He is currently playing alongside the Washington Redskins while having played for the St. Louis Rams and the Buffalo Bills in the past. 

He is one of the league's better linebackers, and on the wrong side of 30, it looks as if his career is starting to come to a close. 

This past 2011 season, he has amassed 163 tackles, three forced fumbles and two interceptions.  These are all decent stats and—considering he is 36 years old—pretty impressive at that. 

Fletcher is one of the big reasons for the Redskins having the record they have now. 

However, if he is looking for a Super Bowl, it is not going to come with Washington.  After 14 years in the league, again it would be a good story for Fletcher to leave on his own and on a high note.  

David Garrard

After being cut this past season for the efforts of Blaine Gabbert, Garrard should have seriously considered retirement right there. 

Although Gabbert has not necessarily done a great job with the Jaguars, it is tough to say that Garrard would have done any better.

From 2008 to 2010, he acquired double-digit interceptions while gaining no more than 23 touchdowns (2010) in one season. 

Being cut for a rookie should show a lot of the faith that the Jaguars organization had in his play. 

Whether it was solely for the lack of production or other factors that we do not know about, Garrard was let go. 

Entering his 11th season in the NFL in 2012, he is not the youngest free agent in the 2012 class.  It is most likely that no team will pick him up as a starter next year, and if so, it would be more for a temporary role. 

Garrard would best be served to retire and end his career instead of clinging to backup roles for the tail end of his tenure in the NFL.  

Kevin Faulk

Kevin Faulk has taken on more of a mentor role for the New England Patriots with the play of Danny Woodhead and Stevan Ridley becoming more significant. 

He is one of the team’s veterans and has taken his role very seriously. 

In the 2011 season, he has only had 11 attempts while gaining 57 yards and no touchdowns. 

At age 35 and entering year 14 of his NFL career, it does not seem as if he will be making a comeback in his career. 

Regardless of that, the Patriots are looking to win another Super Bowl with Tom Brady leading an explosive offense to the postseason.  Faulk has been a great player and person throughout his years in the league, and it would be a shame to not see him leave on a high note.

If the Patriots can win the Super Bowl again, look for Faulk to retire and end his storied career with a positive finish. 

If they do not win, Faulk will most likely retire anyway, due to his age and lack of production.  

Santana Moss

Santana Moss is a quality receiver who has played for only two teams during his years in the NFL. 

During his 11 years playing, he has acquired four 1,000-yard receiving seasons. 

He is one of the most talented and underrated wideouts in the game. 

However, his production has been steadily decreasing, which is normal as he hits his 30s.  Moss is currently 32, and his team has missed the playoffs. 

If his main concern was to finish out his career with a Super Bowl, it does not seem likely for Moss.  In 2008 and 2010, he finished with a total of 2,159 yards combined.  It was looking as if Moss had found a rhythm in his late career. 

However, in 2011 he has only gained 539 yards and four touchdowns thus far. 

With Rex Grossman looking to be the starter for the Redskins in the future, it does not seem likely that his numbers will increase dramatically or even at all from this year's totals. 

Hopefully, Santana Moss will look to end his career now instead of playing under the expectations of people around him.  In reality, he will not be putting up great numbers now that he is entering the end of his career.  

Brady Quinn

Although Brady Quinn is only in his fifth year in the league, it looks as if he is under-performing far greater than what some had expected.

As many young players come into the league, not much is expected of them unless he is a No. 1 or 2 pick. 

However, in those five years, Quinn has shown nothing to prove the fans and coaches that he is ready to start at quarterback. 

In the three seasons he played with the Cleveland Browns, he averaged a quarterback rating of 66.8. 

Granted, in 2007 and 2008, he only played a total of four games, which is tough to gauge a young quarterback on. 

However, in 2009 he was given a chance to prove himself by playing in 10 games.  Although he had his best year in terms of rating at 67.2, that is clearly not good enough to get the job done in this league. 

Some may argue that it was the talent around him or the situation he was put in, yet as an aging quarterback, it is essential to do whatever the team needs. 

However, as his years in Cleveland went on, his interception numbers went up without his touchdown numbers keeping pace. 

He is currently on the Denver Broncos as a backup to Tim Tebow.  At the start of the 2011 season, he was named backup to starter Kyle Orton, yet as the Broncos started losing, the crowd wanted Tebow instead of Quinn. 

Quinn was named second stringer, and the fans voted Tebow instead of Quinn.  That should tell us something about how liked Quinn is to the fans. 

Not to say that Quinn is hated by any means, but his play is somewhat forgetful.  Fans wanted to see Tebow more from hype than what Quinn had done based on performance. 

Brady Quinn might find himself as a backup later on in his career, but he will most likely not become anything significant in the league.  Brady Quinn should just retire now.

Terrell Owens

As most people are sick of Terrell Owens by now, it seems likely that he will retire sometime soon (hopefully). 

Terrell Owens’ last season was in 2010 with the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Although that was his 15th year in the league, he still managed to put up nearly 1,000 yards receiving with nine touchdowns. 

Up until that point, he had played with four other teams.  He has had issues with officiating and other players. 

Owens was one of the most talkative players in the league, as well as one of the most obnoxious. 

Granted, while he was playing and in his prime, he was one of the league's most dominant receivers and quite frankly defended his brash personality with his play on the field.  However, as his skills started becoming less dominant, his actions were shifting from confident and cocky to annoying and embarrassing. 

With his most recent injury, Owens has been sidelined and trying to enter the league again.  It seems most teams are reluctant to take him on, as he has historically caused more problems than he solved. 

If Owens makes it into the league again, it seems as if his role will be similar to that of a player such as Chad Ochocinco.  It will be more of a role position to catch a few passes here and there and score from time to time. 

His time as a dominant player is past him, and if he does not recognize that then he has to retire as soon as he can.