New Post has been published on American Live Wire
New Post has been published on http://americanlivewire.com/detroit-lions-kicker-jason-hanson-retired-after-21-seasons/
Detroit Lions Kicker Jason Hanson Retired After 21 Seasons
The Detroit Lions are going to have to do something they have not needed to do in over two decades this off-season–find a kicker. Longtime kicker Jason Hanson retired Thursday after 21 seasons in the NFL.
Apparently a year after he completed 89 percent of his field goals (32-36) the team decided he was only worth league minimum. Rather than take it or go somewhere else (because someone would have called him and offered him more) he opted to just hang it up.
“I would have worked out a contract with the Detroit Lions,” he told longtime team reporter Mike O’Hara. “There was talk, and at the start, with their initial offer, it gave me some time to evaluate — ‘OK, am I going to do this?’ Ultimately, no.
Hanson is a rarity in the NFL and not just because of his age (42), but because he actually played his entire lengthy career with just one team. Since he first joined the Lions in 1992 he has seen a lot:
Eight different head coaches
19 starting quarter backs
Six trips to the playoffs (zero wins)
the first 0-16 season in NFL history
he is the last player to have played when there was no salary cap or free agency
It will be a long time before anyone is able to touch some of the career marks that he has set. his 495 career field goals ranks third on the all-time list as does his total points scored (2150). No one has ever kicked more field goals of 40 or more yards then him (189) or from 50 or more (51).
With 21 seasons in Detroit he has easily set the mark for longest stay with one team as well as most games with the same club (327).
The heel injury that bothered him last year still is, and that did factor into his decision.
“Ultimately, it’s my heel – the problem I developed last year. Now that we’re starting a new year, it’s still an issue. I have the desire. I have the determination, as I said earlier, to come back.
So he still has the desire and determination, huh? I wonder if Vegas has a line on when he receives his first call next season (and you know they will be calling).
[To see one of Hanson's prouder moments hit play!]