Veteran defensive players Mathis, Mayo announce they are retiring
Two of the NFL’s better defensive players of this generation announced on Monday that they are retiring.
Rashean Mathis, a cornerback who spent the first decade of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the final three with the Detroit Lions, and New England Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo, who played for eight years, are hanging up their shoulder pads.
Mathis, a second-round pick of the Jaguars in 2003 out of Bethune-Cookman, missed half of the 2015 season due to concussion. An All-Pro and Pro Bowl pick in 2006, when he had eight interceptions and 21 pass break-ups, he left the Jaguars after the 2012 season as the franchise’s all-time leader in picks.
The 35-year old announced his decision to Lions’ in-house reporter Tori Petry:
“It’s been a great 13 years,” Mathis said. “And…I think it’s time for me to hang up the cleats. The Lord has blessed me with a long career and do great on and off the field and inside the locker room, so I think it’s time. It’s time.”
Mayo, a first-round pick out of Tennessee in 2008, was the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year, a two-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 2010, when he recorded 175 tackles (114 solo), two sacks, five pass break-ups and a forced fumble.
Mayo suffered season-ending injuries in the sixth game of both the 2013 and 2014 seasons, first a torn pectoral and then a torn patellar tendon; he also suffered a significant shoulder injury in the Patriots’ divisional-round win over the Chiefs last month.
Mayo made his announcement on Instagram, one week before his 30th birthday. He captioned his post, “RETIRING A PATRIOT.”
The bigger loss for the Lions and Patriots with news of these retirements may be off the field, in the meeting rooms and locker room. Mathis and Mayo have both been lauded for their leadership and ability to mentor teammates on all manner of subjects. Social media reaction from teammates of both men invariably noted the influence they’d had in making them better players, and in some cases, better men.
