DeMarcus Ware has retired from the NFL, but not for lack of opportunity. In fact, in a discussion with MMQB’s Peter King, Ware revealed that he turned down significant money.
“He was working out, and he was over neck and back ailments that wrecked his 2016 season in Denver,” King reported. “Ware is 34, and he had a $9 million offer on the table for 2017 (he won’t say from which team, but Dallas is a best guess), and he felt he could have had the kind of reborn season that would satisfy the football devotee inside of him.”
Ware certainly remained an effective pass rusher throughout his career.
In 2016, he recorded four sacks in only 10 games for the Denver Broncos. If he was indeed beyond the injuries that limited him to only 21 regular season games over the last two seasons, it’s not hard to believe that a team would have offered Ware $9 million.
But for Ware, the long-term risks were too great.
“And right now as a I stand here, my body feels great,” Ware said, via King. “My body feels youthful. There is no question in my mind that I could have played two or three more years. But I’m realistic about it. My body’s good now, but how long will that last? How long can your body hold up at 34, 35, when what you do is likely to hurt yourself?”
That’s a good decision for Ware. Unfortunately, it’s an all too common sight to see former great athletes that can barely move around within only a few years of their playing days. Ware does not want to be that guy.
It’s an admirable move. Even for a man who’s made millions throughout his career, walking away from $9 million could not have been easy. In doing so, Ware showed that his priorities are in the right place.