No longer the player that saw him put up four double-digit sack performances in five seasons, Indianapolis Colts pass rusher Trent Cole might just decide to call it quits on his career.
The caveat here being that he will only retire if the former Pro Bowler is not offered enough cash on the free-agent market.
F.A. Trent Cole: game is hard on the body and I have a price in my head that I will not play for, I will retire. That's the bottom line
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) February 24, 2017
At this point, it is probably a good bet that the 34-year-old veteran won’t be offered a sizable contract once free agency gets going. After signing a two-year, $14 million contract with Indy back in 2015, Cole proceeded to put up a grand total of five sacks in two seasons
This came after the former fifth-round pick recorded a whopping 85.5 sacks in 10 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.
EDGE pass rushers are obviously at a premium in a pass-first league. We have also seen veterans perform at a high clip in situational roles, including the likes of John Abraham and Dwight Freeney recently.
Even then, if Cole is looking for a big payday in order to be talked out of retirement, he’s likely going to be in for a rude awakening. That’s simply not how it words in today’s NFL.