In the matter of 24 hours, three prominent National Football League players retired. The eldest of the trio is 30 years old. San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Jason Worilds and Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker all decided to walk away from the game, citing various reasons.
For Willis, 30, the choice was predicated off his health issues. Willis has been dealing with bad feet for years and after having a toe surgery last fall, decided he no longer could play at the high standards he set for himself. Willis leaves behind a tremendous legacy both on and off the field. Known as one of the good guys in the league, Willis is also a seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time first-team All-Pro in eight seasons.
If the Pro Football Hall of Fame values greatness more than longevity, Willis will be receiving a gold jacket sometime over the next decade. He was truly special, a term that gets thrown way too much. Give Willis credit for knowing his play was about to suffer, and having the courage to step away before the memories became a hobbled player no longer capable of his previous greatness.
In the case of Worilds, his agent simply released a statement that he intends to pursue other interests. Among them is a spiritual journey, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Worilds, 27, played five seasons with the Steelers after being a second-round pick in 2010 out of Virginia Tech. Worilds would have made a good salary after racking up 7.5 sacks in 2014 and 25.5 over his brief career. Instead, he walks away with an intact body, only forced to miss seven games in five years.
Then there is Locker, who decided to retire because he no longer had a passion for the game. This is probably for the best with the former University of Washington star, who showed flashes of talent only to be derailed constantly by injury. Locker only played 30 of a possible 64 games in his career, dealing with hip, shoulder and concussion problems.
Locker would have caught on somewhere in a backup capacity, making a solid $3-5 million in 2015 to hold a clipboard. However, Locker was honest about his lack of fire, something he should be commended for.
Ultimately, the NFL sees three young players walking away in their primes. It is a sign the education of long-term health is sinking in, something the league should be proud of.
