Ware says he intends to play next season

A day after undergoing surgery to repair a ruptured disc in his back, Broncos outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware said in a Twitter post that the procedure was a success and that he intends to return for a 13th NFL season.

“Appreciate the thoughts, prayers, articles, etc. Surgery went well,” he wrote Saturday. “I’ve noticed critics always count you out because that’s what they want to see according to THEIR timetable of your life. In life, there are people of many words, but far less people of action. Sometimes things don’t need to be said. Critics will try to crown u, but they don’t even know what the throne feels like. I’m not ready to rule the kingdom yet; there’s still fire in my heart to do work out here. And if you don’t see the kind of work I’m referring to, you’ll see this ’17 season. Can’t never count me out; count me in ….. #94.”

Ware was placed on injured reserve last week, ending his season before the Broncos finished theirs against the Oakland Raiders in Denver on Sunday. Over the last two years, Ware will have missed a total of 11 games because of the back injury and a fractured forearm suffered earlier this season.

This season, in 10 games (eight starts), Ware had a total of 15 tackles and four sacks, for a loss of 22 yards. Over his 12-year career, he has 138½ sacks. That total ranks eighth in NFL history.

Ware, 34, signed a three-year contract with the Broncos as an unrestricted free agent in March 2014. About a month after Super Bowl 50, he agreed to restructure the final year of his deal to lower his salary cap hit and reflect his altered role. The Broncos planned to maximize his effectiveness while trying to preserve his health by using him mostly on situational downs.