This was the year of the retirement in the NFL. Gone are Peyton Manning, Calvin Johnson, Marshawn Lynch, Charles Woodson and Jared Allen.
Which star players might try to ride off into the sunset after the 2016 campaign? Here are seven possibilities.
1. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals: The 32-year-old nine-time Pro Bowler has sort of remade himself as an elite slot receiver late in his career, but he admits he has “no idea” if 2016 will be his last year.
2. Tom Brady, New England Patriots: He’s talked about wanting to play until 2025, which is ridiculous but indicates how far he is from being ready to hang them up. That said, if the soon-to-be-39-year-old can avoid suspension early this year and guide New England to one more championship, it might be tempting to drop the mic on Roger Goodell in February.
3. Frank Gore, Indianapolis Colts: The 33-year-old five-time Pro Bowler actually saw his workload increase during his first season with the Colts, but his yards-per-attempt average plummeted to a career-low 3.7. He’s probably done, but we’ll get confirmation in 2016.
4. Matt Forte, New York Jets: The 30-year-old two-time Pro Bowler might stick around long enough to collect most if not all of the $12 million he’s due over the next three years. But he’s made plenty of money and his body might start to quit on him. A bad year might be his last.
5. Steve Smith, Baltimore Ravens: The electric 37-year-old receiver said he was going to retire after the 2015 season, but then a season-ending injury caused him to reconsider that decision. Probably safe to say the 2016 campaign will be his last.
6. James Harrison, Pittsburgh Steelers: The 38-year-old five-time Pro Bowler has become an effective situational rusher, but many were surprised to see him return last year, let alone this one.
7. Julius Peppers, Green Bay Packers: It’s easy to see why the nine-time Pro Bowler returned after a 10.5-sack 2015 campaign, but he’s now 36 and is entering his 15th season.
