Early Retirement by Pro Athletes

Early retirement by pro athletes is nothing new.  With the pending early retirement of two prominent football players there has been a lot of speculation by some major media outlets that as the money athletes are making in pro sports increases.  The sports are dying and that we are doomed to all of them retiring early.   This is just crazy talk that is meant to grab headlines and shock people.  The truth is that early retirement has been going on for a long time across all pro sports. Over the years there have been athletes that have retired for various reasons while they were still in their prime.

There is no one all encompassing reason for players to opt for early retirement.  Every sport has had at least a few players that decided to hang it up while they were healthy and close to the prime of their career.  If a player suffers a career ending injury or a serious injury and they decide not to play anymore.  I do not really count that as retiring early.  It is a bummer but the choice was really taken out of their control.

Some players are just able to play longer.  Either because they stay away from injury or they are just freaks of nature and love the game so much that they just do not want to give it up.

Another big factor beside injury or the threat of injury.  Is desire.  For most professional players they have been playing their sport for 15 or more years before they make it to the pro level.  Think about how long many people stick to their first career.  Once you have been doing something that long.  Either you keep doing it because you love it or you loose your passion for it and move on to something else.  There are players at both ends of the spectrum here.  Think of Brett Favre playing for 20 years.  He had the desire and was able to avoid a significant injury.  At the other end there was Gale Sayers.  He had the desire but could not avoid the significant injuries.

Since these players have been doing this for so long by the time they get to the professional level.  It is really difficult to hold it against them if they decide to hang it up.  As much as we as fans hate to see a great player leave, it is going to happen.  There are so many factors that can lead up to early retirement by pro athletes.   Injury, loss of passion, and in the current sports world money.  Players in this age make a lot more money than they did even 20 years ago.  If you have a 10 year career and make $50 million it gives you the stability, well if you handled your money, to make other choices that may not put your health in as much jeopardy.

There has been some major players that have retired early.  This is not a new thing.  The NFL survived the retirements of Jim Brown in the 60’s and Barry Sanders in the 90’s.  As sad as it is to lose Calvin Johnson and Marshawn Lynch, the NFL will survive after they retire too.