BJ Raji retiring

[RonWolfGOAT]

per Ryan wood

https://twitter.com/ByRyanWood/status/709434777388986368

Thank God. He's been stealing money since after the SB season. Now we won't stupidly give him 5m a year.

[Patler]

I thought he retired in 2012?

[dsilby]

This explains the Guion signing for starter money.

[Striker]

Well. Didn't see that one coming. Never was quite the same player due the position shift and injuries.

[Striker]

Raji's full statement.

I am taking a hiatus from the NFL and will not play during the 2016 NFL season. This decision was made after hours of conversation with close family members and mentors and considerable self-introspection and is one in which I am absolutely certain. I cannot rule out a return to the NFL in the future, but I will definitely not be playing during the 2016 season.

Coach Lombardi once said that “unless a man believes in himself and makes a total commitment to his career and puts everything he has into it – his mind, his body, his heart – what’s life worth to him?” That is the approach I have taken with football since I was a 2-star high school recruit. That total commitment was the foundation of my success at Boston College, helped me become a top ten pick in the NFL and helped me both make a Pro Bowl and win a Super Bowl. However, when my agents Brian Murphy and Camron Hahn informed me that they had a new deal with the Packers, I knew that I would not be able to live up to Coach Lombardi’s “total commitment” standard and made this decision out of respect to this great organization.

I have played football and been defined as a football player for as long as I can remember. This off-season was the first time that I felt myself pulled in another direction and I am excited to first be “all in” with my family back home and then to explore new frontiers. I am not exactly sure what the next phase of life will entail, but I am confident that all of the lessons I learned during my NFL journey will provide a solid foundation for success.

I have enormous gratitude for Mr. Murphy, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Ball, Coach McCarthy, our entire coaching and training staff and all those in the football personnel department who make the Green Bay Packers so special. This organization not only made my NFL dreams a reality and provided financial security for me and my family for generations to come, but the Packers also helped me become the type of man who can make the decision I make today and for that I am eternally grateful.

I had the great fortune of playing with and developing friendships with some of the greatest teammates in the NFL and I thank all of them for going to battle with me every Sunday. It doesn’t seem that long ago that Clay and I came to Green Bay together as first round picks (me 17 picks ahead of Clay of course) and I am really proud of what we were able to accomplish as a defense and a team, bringing a Lombardi trophy to Green Bay.

Finally, I can’t possibly thank enough the tremendous city of Green Bay and Packers fans across the country. You embraced me from the beginning and helped Green Bay become not just a place I worked, but also a home. I know if I have the same passion, dedication and love that the Packers fans bring to Lambeau Field every game, I will find happiness and great success.

All my best,

BJ Raji

[Pugger]

What a classy statement. Raji never talked that much to the press so most fans didn't know he was this well read. I was hoping he'd be back. He will be missed.

[Rutnstrut]

More addition by subtraction. The teams that these young guys walk away from benefit greatly. Because if they can walk away this easily, their heart was never in it. Raji never played with fire, and now we know why.

[pbmax]

More addition by subtraction. The teams that these young guys walk away from benefit greatly. Because if they can walk away this easily, their heart was never in it. Raji never played with fire, and now we know why.

1. Please list evidence his "heart" was never in it.

2. Please tell us why.

[pbmax]

Tom Silverstein @TomSilverstein 52s52 seconds ago
Was told that #Packers BJ Raji had 5 legit offers, but legit is in the eye of the beholder. He had to weigh them vs. family health concerns.

[Striker]

More from Raji per the GBPG:

Green Bay Packers free-agent defensive tackle B.J. Raji intends to step away from football for at least the 2016 season, if not permanently.

Raji, the ninth overall pick in 2009, told USA TODAY NEWTORK-Wisconsin he informed Packers coach Mike McCarthy of his decision Sunday afternoon. Raji said he’s walking away from a “very, very nice deal” that would have kept him in Green Bay. Raji said he also had interest from multiple other teams.

In recent years, the league has seen multiple early retirements from players because of long-term health concerns. Raji, 29, said long-term health concerns did not factor into his decision to step away. Instead, Raji said, he realized his passion for football had waned after the 2015 season ended.

“This game is too hard, and I’ve got too much respect for myself and the Packers to come back just for the sake of money,” Raji said in an exclusive interview. “For the record, I had a very, very nice deal on the table. I had a nice, long-term deal on the table from Green Bay, and I had the interest of some other playoff-contending teams.”

One critical factor in Raji’s decision was the health of his family. His mother, Mamie, is hypertensive and on dialysis as well as dealing with diabetes. His aunt, Grace Patterson, is battling breast cancer. Raji said he found clarity with his future in a recent conversation with his aunt.

“Talking to her,” Raji said, “I felt like that moment was a shift. Because she said something to me when I brought up the possibility of taking a break from the league, she said something to me. She said, ‘B.J., when you’re on your death bed, you’re not going to wish that you worked more. You’re not going to wish that you made more money. You’re going to wish that you followed your heart, and that you lived and experienced the things you wanted to experience.'”

Raji has 151 tackles, 11 sacks and 10 passes defensed in 91 regular-season games over seven NFL seasons. He returned to the Packers in each of the past two offseasons on one-year contracts.

The Packers re-signed defensive ends Mike Daniels and Letroy Guion earlier this offseason. They will need someone to replace defensive end Mike Pennel early next season. Pennel faces a four-game suspension to start the 2016 season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

Raji said he has entertained the idea of returning to school. He’s thought about staying connected to football as a coach, but he would prefer the college or high school level. He wouldn’t rule out a return to football after the 2016 season, but he’s also content if his career never resumes. He’s at peace with his decision to step away, Raji said.

“It was easy for me to consider,” Raji said, “because after talking to people who know me and love me, it opened up a different perspective, seeing what they’ve gone through. It’s like, why waste another moment? I don’t know what the future holds if I’m not completely in it, and my heart is not completely in it.

“This is not an official retirement. This is just taking time away from the game. I felt like I owed it to the Packers to be up front, and owed it to the fans to be up front and let them know how I was really feeling. I think this is the best way to do so.”

[Rutnstrut]

1. Please list evidence his "heart" was never in it.

2. Please tell us why.

Well his shitty play and the fact that he's just walking away. If he truly loved the game he wouldn't be walking away, thus lack of heart.

[Fritz]

Well his shitty play and the fact that he's just walking away. If he truly loved the game he wouldn't be walking away, thus lack of heart.

Raji said this about the deal he was offered: “For the record, I had a very, very nice deal on the table. I had a nice, long-term deal on the table from Green Bay, and I had the interest of some other playoff-contending teams."


That's not "lack of heart."

"Lack of heart" is Cletidus Hunt getting the big contract and then laying down like a dog the next season while collecting a huge paycheck.


And Raji didn't play "shitty." He was effective before he got hurt, he played ineffectively while playing hurt, and when he healed he was again much better.

This is a guy with heart. I think he's grown into a man during his time in Green Bay, and I wish him well.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Raji said this about the deal he was offered: “For the record, I had a very, very nice deal on the table. I had a nice, long-term deal on the table from Green Bay, and I had the interest of some other playoff-contending teams."


That's not "lack of heart."

"Lack of heart" is Cletidus Hunt getting the big contract and then laying down like a dog the next season while collecting a huge paycheck.


And Raji didn't play "shitty." He was effective before he got hurt, he played ineffectively while playing hurt, and when he healed he was again much better.

This is a guy with heart. I think he's grown into a man during his time in Green Bay, and I wish him well.

Well said.

[texaspackerbacker]

I wish him well outside of football. I'm extremely happy from a Packer viewpoint that he will be gone, though.

[run pMc]

Didn't see that coming, but I think it's a class move to not go for the money grab and to put family first.