Sproles to retire, ending 15-year NFL career
Philadelphia Eagles running back Darren Sproles will retire after the season, ending his 15-year career in the NFL.
Sproles, who is out for the remainder of this season with torn right hip flexor muscle, announced his decision Saturday, saying in a statement that “I gave it everything I had on every play.”
“I owe so much to the game of football and I gave it all I had in return,” Sproles said in the statement, which was posted on the Eagles’ web site. “I gave it everything I had on every play. I rode it until the wheels fell off. That’s the way I played and that’s the way I practiced. When I re-signed with the Eagles back in July, I knew it was going to be my last season, and now my body is telling me it’s time to step away from the game. It’s time to call it a career. So when the season comes to an end, I’m going to officially retire from the National Football League. But I wanted to announce it today so that we can appreciate the moment together on Sunday.”
The Eagles (7-7) play their final home game of the regular season Sunday when they host the Cowboys (7-7) in a matchup that could determine the NFC East title.
Sproles, 36, rushed for 66 yards on 17 carries this season, his sixth with the Eagles. The three-time Pro Bowler also spent three seasons with the Saints and six with the Chargers.
A fourth-round draft selection in 2005, the 5-foot-6 Sproles is No. 5 on the NFL’s all-time list for all-purpose yards (19,696). His best season came with the Saints in 2011, when he rushed for a 603 yards, hauled in 86 receptions for 710 yards and scored 10 touchdowns — all career bests.