No Longer Entertaining

Free agent RB Rashad Mendenhall surprised everyone when he announced his retirement from the NFL at 26. He wrote a very insightful story on the Huffington Post website. He put a great deal of thought into his decision.

Mendenhall said he wanted to leave the game while he was still feeling good. During his six seasons with the Steelers and Cardinals, he rushed for 4,236 yards and 37 TD's. He had 1,000 yard seasons in 2008 and 2010 with the Steelers.

The game has taken a toll on him physically. He fractured his shoulder during his 2008 rookie season. He also tore his ACL in Week 17 of the 2012 season.

The former first round pick said he no longer wanted to play football for entertainment purposes. I found this comment to be very striking. The NFL is a $10 billion segment of the entertainment industry. Players risk permanent and crippling injuries on every play. The game is one continual train wreck. It entertains the American public, but the players pay a big price physically.

I give Mendenhall a lot of credit for wanting to leave the game while he still has good health.