DeMarcus Ware admits that he would not have retired from football if his contract with the Denver Broncos wasn’t up, but that does not mean the nine-time Pro Bowler will consider putting on the pads again in the future.
Despite speculation that he could return to help a contending team down the stretch in 2017, Ware told Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post that his decision to retire is final.
“Once I make a decision, that’s it,” Ware said.
Ware, who will turn 35 this summer, missed 10 games over the past two seasons due to various injuries, most notably to his back. While he says he is finally pain-free, the former defensive end did not want to risk potential long-term effects by playing another season.
“You start thinking about your quality of life,” Ware said. “You still have the desire to get out there and play and compete and win championships. But my body was talking to me.
“It wasn’t about the money anymore. It was about a way of life. How do I want to live? Because I knew God gave me 12 years to play this game, and now we’ve cleaned up everything those 12 years have cost my body. Going out here one more year and possibly tearing it up — is it worth it?”
There’s little question Ware could still make an impact on the field, which is why we heard reports like this one after he announced his decision to hang up the cleats. Ware would likely get the urge to return if a playoff contender gave him a call some time in November, but it sounds like he has every intention of fighting that urge and winning.
