Eagles running back Sproles plans to retire after next season
Darren Sproles is set to retire after the 2018 season.
The Philadelphia Eagles running back wrote in a blog post on Sunday that he plans to play just one more year in the NFL.
A veteran of 12 NFL seasons, his 2017 campaign was curtailed by a broken arm and torn ACL suffered in a Week 3 win over the New York Giants, preventing Sproles from playing a part as the Eagles won their first Super Bowl title by beating the New England Patriots in February.
The 35-year-old re-signed with the Eagles on a one-year deal in April and wrote in his blog: "The plan was for 2017 to be my last season. I was 34, had a great career, accomplished a lot—it was time. No one ever expected my career to last this long, over a decade but I was proud to prove them all wrong. Then my season ended a little earlier than expected, to an injury.
"An injury is different; It's something you don't have any control over but I feel like I left a lot out there, and I couldn't let my career end like that.
"Coming back from any injury is tough—especially a knee injury for a running back. I wondered if I was going to come back the same, if I would still have my quickness. That's the main thing because I don't want to go out there and start getting smacked. Once I started rehabbing and running again I could tell I was good and ready for one more healthy year.
"At my size, people often ask me how I've managed a decade plus long career in this league and I tell them the secret is simple—don't get hit. Football is a collision sport so getting my agility back was key to my decision to play one more year.
"I'm excited to come back and I am even more excited to come back to the defending Super Bowl champion, Eagles. We have something special here with the team, the fans, and the city. We made history bringing the first Lombardi trophy to Philly and now we want to go back-to-back."
Sproles was originally selected by the then San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2005 draft. He spent six seasons with the franchise and three with the New Orleans Saints before he was traded to the Eagles in March 2014.
He has rushed for 3,366 yards and 22 touchdowns over his career. Sproles has also caught 30 touchdown passes, returned seven punts for scores and tallied two kick-return touchdowns.