Arian Foster announces his retirement
Ryan says blindside hits merit ejection
Arian Foster ended his football career ended Monday night the way he wanted:
On his own terms. Foster, an Albuquerque native, announced Monday that he is walking away from the game midway through his eighth season, writing on Uninterrupted that his body can no longer withstand the demands of what he described as a “gladiator” game. The Miami Herald confirmed that Foster is indeed retiring, effective immediately.
“There comes a time in every athlete’s career when their ambition and their body are no longer on the same page,” Foster wrote. “I’ve reached that point. It’s hard for me to write those words because this game has been everything to me.”
“My father always said, ‘You’ll know when it’s time to walk away,’ ” Foster continued. “It has never been more clear than right now. I’m walking away with peace.”
Foster retires with 6,527 yards and 54 touchdowns, the vast majority of which came with the Houston Texans.
His one year in Miami was derailed by injury. Foster has battled hamstring and groin injuries for much of the season and lost his starting job to Jay Ajayi. He faced the prospect of another rehab after suffering a recent soft tissue injury, ESPN reported, and ultimately decided that he had enough.
Foster acknowledged that it is rare for players to retire midseason and thanked the Dolphins for their support.
His agent, Mike McCartney, wrote on Twitter Monday night: “Congrats to Arian Foster on a great career! What a run he had starting with a magical 2010 season. Proud of both the player and the man!”
Foster added: “This is beautifully violent game and the same reason I loved it is why I have to walk away. That bittersweet taste will forever linger with me but on my next journey, I get to carry those memories with me. Hopefully. lol”
BILLS: Coach Rex Ryan is challenging the NFL to consider ejecting players for blindside hits to the head such as the one by Dolphins receiver Jarvis Landry that leveled Buffalo safety Aaron Williams.
Ryan called Landry’s hit “dirty” and “deliberate,” while saying on-field officials made the right call in flagging the player for unnecessary roughness. Ryan then went further in questioning why the league doesn’t adopt college football’s policy and have such hits reviewed to determine whether they merit an ejection.
Ryan spoke Monday, a day after Williams was hurt and taken to the hospital during Buffalo’s 28-25 loss to the Dolphins. Williams was cleared to travel home with the Bills and attended team meetings Monday.
His status, however, is uncertain for Buffalo’s game against New England on Sunday.
ELI-TRUMP: Eli Manning says he wasn’t using Donald Trump’s name in order to signal an audible during the New York Giants’ victory over the Los Angeles Rams in London on Sunday.
The Giants quarterback was caught by microphones yelling out something that sounded a lot like “Trump” ahead of a snap in second quarter of the 17-10 win. The play was a run up the middle that gained a yard.
Some on Twitter speculated that the call was a signal for blockers to form a wall for the ball carrier in reference to the Republican presidential nominee’s
plan to build a wall along the border between the U.S. and Mexico. CUTLER: Bears quarterback Jay Cutler will return from a thumb injury to play against the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 31.
Cutler has been out since he suffered a thumb sprain in a Sept. 19 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. JETS: Geno Smith’s second chance at starting appears to be over. His playing days with the New York Jets could be, too.
The maligned quarterback has a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and is seeking a second opinion on the injury that would end his season.
GIANTS: The Giants have started discussions about placekicker Josh Brown and his future with the team a day after returning from a game in London. The NFL placed Brown on paid leave Friday after the kicker disclosed in journals and emails released by authorities in the state of Washington that he abused his then-wife.
CHARGERS: Defensive end Caraun Reid tore his left anterior cruciate ligament on Sunday, becoming the fifth Chargers player to tear his ACL in the season’s seven games.