Colts Robert Mathis Announces He'll Retire After Sunday's Game
Indianapolis Colts outside linebacker Robert Mathis has announced his retirement, as this Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars will be his last career game–career game no. 192:
“I think we all know the reason we’re here, and I’m letting everybody know that this will be #98’s last game Sunday,” said Mathis on Friday. “Cap on a blessed career.”
The 35 year old veteran pass rusher also posted a video on his Instagram account announcing his soon-to-be retirement:
While there was already speculation of a potential Mathis’ farewell entering Sunday’s contest, it appears as though this confirms what many thought would happen with the 14-year veteran playing in both his last game in a Colts uniform and all together in the NFL.
However, Mathis now gets to go out on his own terms, as it appears he’s clearly contemplated this decision for at least a number of weeks:
The Colts franchise’s all-time career sack leader with 122.0 career sacks, as well as forced fumbles with 53 career forced fumbles has been a defensive cornerstone in Indianapolis since being selected as a 5th round pick of the 2003 NFL Draft out of unheralded Alabama A&M.
As it stands, he’s tied as the NFL’s 18th all-time career sack leader with 122.0 sacks, just 0.5 sacks behind former Colts teammate Dwight Freeney.
Oct 23, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Indianapolis Colts outside linebacker Robert Mathis (98) reacts after fielding a fumble by Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) and returning it for a touchdown during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Indianapolis won 34-26. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Once told he was ‘too small’ to make it in the NFL, Mathis went onto become a Super Bowl XLI Champion, 1x 1st-Team All-Pro, 1x 2nd-Team All-Pro, 6x Pro Bowler, AFC Defensive Player of the Year, and NFL Sacks Leader in Indianapolis.
Along with Freeney, Mathis helped form one of the best pass rushing tandems in NFL history–helping to lead the Colts to a Super Bowl XLI Championship in 2006.
However, even as a ‘solo act’ as a converted stand-up 3-4 outside linebacker in 2013–with Freeney departed, Mathis led the league with 19.5 sacks in 2013 in what was arguably his best NFL season.
While Mathis was great on the field, he was perhaps equally as important in the locker room as along with teammates Reggie Wayne and Adam Vinatieri, he was among the remaining veteran leaders of the Colts who helped to successfully bridge the Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck eras of Indianapolis’ storied franchise history.
However, after a season-ending torn Achilles in 2014, Mathis once dominant defensive play began to diminish because of both age and injuries. That’s nothing against Mathis, but father time remains undefeated, as he was sapped of his once familiar great speed and explosiveness.
The veteran has shown a few flashes of his former self this season, but with just 4.0 sacks on the season and in the last year of his Colts contract, it was a fair question of whether the veteran pass rusher would in fact return next season–especially with the defense needing to get drastically younger and more athletic.
Fortunately, #98 now gets to go out on his own terms, and we wish him the best of luck on Sunday and in all of his future endeavors.
Here’s hoping he can add at least one more sack to his total career count against the Jaguars to end his illustrious career just how he started it–taking down quarterbacks with vengeance.
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