Joe Burrow recently announced that despite being super young in his NFL career, there is a chance that he may retire soon if he doesn’t begin to be able to play without getting injured as much. This sentiment is becoming more common in the NFL among all positions as players are starting to value their long-term health and post-football life more than playing one or two more seasons and risking more injury.
Or perhaps players are getting paid so much now and have so many resources such as financial advisors and legal protection, that once a player makes so much money, they already know they are set for life, particularly if they have other corporate sponsorships they work with.
2024-25 looks like a season in which quite a few quarterbacks could hang up their cleats for a few reasons. This list will be limited to starters or veterans who have played for 10+ years and may now be backups but are still household names.
Joe Burrow and Others Retiring Due to Injury?
Realistically, any player could be put on this list if they get the wrong kind of injury, but we’ll limit this to just season-ending injuries or injuries that, with enough rehab and work, can be overcome before the next season. Many quarterbacks make this list, and many of them will also be featured on the age list.
- Joe Burrow: Yes, Joe Burrow has only been in the league for a few years, but he may run out of patience to get back into football shape. He struggled with injuries in college, tore his ACL during his rookie season, had a calf injury last fall camp, and had a season-ending wrist injury last year. He has admitted that his “football mortality is something [he’s] thought through”.
- Aaron Rodgers: Aaron Rodgers made it four plays last year before being knocked out for the season. The 40-year-old already has a unique perspective on life and many other interests. It seems totally possible that another season-ending injury would be more than enough for Aaron Rodgers to call it a career, even with only one Super Bowl victory.
- Taysom Hill – Yes, I know he is technically a TE/RB/ST/WR/QB but he takes enough snaps at QB to be on this list. Hill has had a ton of injuries in his college and NFL career. The 34 year old’s best trait is his strength and speed; with age, he is starting to lose that slightly. He probably sees the end of the tunnel as it is, so an injury may be enough to have him leave.
- Kirk Cousins, Matthew Stafford, Andy Dalton, Brian Hoyer, Case Keenum, Matt Ryan, Rusell Wilson, Joe Flacco—All of these quarterbacks will be grouped together because they are in sort of the same category. They are all over 35 years old, and outside of perhaps Cousins and Stafford, they have likely seen the pinnacle of their careers. They’ve all made a ton of money, meaning an injury may be what ultimately makes them decide to call it good on their career.
Retiring While Riding Off Into the Sunset
It’s every player’s dream to end their career on top with the Lombardi Trophy and then ride off into the sunset towards the Hall of Fame. Of course, this doesn’t happen for most players, and their careers end either by being injured, missing the playoffs, or losing a playoff game. For these players, if they were lucky enough to win a Super Bowl this year, there is a good chance they’d call it good on their careers. This list will be limited to current starters.
- Aaron Rodgers – This is the obvious answer. Again, Rodgers will be 41 years old when the Super Bowl is played. If he could do the impossible and not only lead the Jets to their first Playoff appearance in over a decade but win a Super Bowl, they may just carry Rodgers off the field on their shoulders where he’d retire as a champion.
- Andy Dalton, and Kirk Cousins – These three players are again on this list because of where they are in their careers age-wise, and they have never won a Super Bowl. Getting that win would probably be enough to call it good on a career. The one exception may be Kirk Cousins, who just signed a new deal with the Falcons.
- Joe Burrow – Again, Burrow is already thinking about retiring due to health. Maybe a healthy season that sees him as a champion would be good enough.
- Russell Wilson and Matthew Stafford – Similiar to Dalton and Cousins, they are older players, but both have won a Super Bowl. They are lower on this list because they aren’t necessarily chasing a Super Bowl as much as Dalton and Cousins. They have one. They are playing for another reason, and it is unclear whether a second Super Bowl Ring would satisfy that need.
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