B. Smith Still Leaning Toward Retirement 02/19/2004
By Gary Fitzgerald Redskins.com
Redskins defensive end Bruce Smith still has not officially announced his retirement from the NFL, but he continues to suggest that his playing days are over.
In an interview on the NFL Network on Wednesday evening, Smith reiterated many of the same remarks he made last December when he first announced he would “more than likely” retire at season’s end.
Smith, who will turn 41 in June, told the NFL Network’s Rich Eisen that he would “never say never” about returning for a 20th season.
But, added Smith, “I’ve played 19 years now and I’ve accomplished so many things at a team level and on a personal level.
"I think it would be befitting if I was able to walk away instead of going out crawling on one leg—I’ve had a lot of great memories, but I’m leaning towards that.”
When asked if the reason he hasn’t officially retired is that he still hopes to get another chance at winning a Super Bowl ring, Smith replied: “If you want a definitive answer right here on this show, I probably won’t give it to you. But in so many words, I’m going to take it easy and play golf.”
Smith made history on Dec. 7 in a Week 15 game against the New York Giants at the Meadowlands when he sacked quarterback Jesse Palmer for his 199th career sack, breaking the NFL’s all-time sack record previously held by Reggie White.
Two weeks later, Smith sacked Chicago’s Rex Grossman at Soldier Field for his 200th career sack.
In the Dec. 27 season finale against Philadelphia at FedExField, the Redskins held a halftime ceremony honoring Smith and his all-time sack record.
The team presented him with a life-size plaque in his form listing many of the achievements the future Hall of Famer made during his 19-year career.
Smith signed with the Redskins in 2000 after 15 seasons with the Buffalo Bills. He recorded 29 of his 200 career sacks in his four-year tenure in Washington.
I don't know the exact numbers, but we save more money if he retires on his own instead of us cutting him. I bet he makes us cut him, but I sure hope he retires himself...
thats $2m EXTRA.
If he retires we save about 6.5m, if he doesn't retire and we cut him, we're liable for 1.5m of that. We'd still save about 5m on the cap this season
Maybe Snyder should just give him a portion of his what would be salary and have him retire as a Redskin. That way we would save about 2 mil in cap room and he we wouldnt have a cap penalty next year for cutting him.
I hear ya Rich. I met him at the TPC four years ago..right after we signed him. He was great. I was a little surprised at how down to earth he was. My group followed his around the course and we talked to him on almost every hole because we had to wait at each tee box. He asked us if we wanted to play through several times. He needs to retire to work on that golf game.
I agree with you though, he hasn't been a team player ...ever(now that I think about it). It's a shame the way he's acted so selfishly. He needed to retire a while ago.
let's be serious about Bru-u-u-u-u-u-u-uce... The only reason he played last season was to get his record. The team's win-loss record meant absolutely nothing to him. He didn't even practice half of the time at training camp, he just sat on Danny Boy's golf cart with Sonny, in his shorts, and under armour.
He's not playing for anybody next season. He was selfish last year, and he won't come back. I say we cut him next week if he hasn't announced his retirement. He put us in some bad spots by failing to put pressure on the QB most of last season, and now we should return the favor.
Maybe Danny Boy can pay him a small stipend to retire from the Redskins so that he can go back to Buffalo and sign a "one day contract" and officially retire as a Bill, which is, after all, the place where he played his only productive ball. I don't want him to retire as a Redskin, not after watching Cornelius Bennett and him on the sideline during SB XXIV talking about "they ain't that tough" while they were getting their @sses handed to them by the 'Skins!
R.I.P. Andrew McDonough 9/3/92 - 7/14/07. Love & miss you, #20.
