Coming off Super Bowl win, Strahan to retire
Career in rewind
Photos: Michael Strahan said goodbye to the NFL on Monday. Take a look back at his career right here.
Strahan, 36, has told FOXSports.com exclusively that he has decided to retire.
After a lengthy and — for Strahan — up-and-down decision-making process, Strahan said he's hanging up the cleats and wanted to finalize a decision before his teammates gathered for their mini-camp.
Last season, Strahan was outstanding. He started 15 of 16 games, had 46 tackles and nine sacks. He is walking away from a $4 million salary for the final year of his contract, and could be leaving for a job in TV.
For months, fans, players, and his own teammates have wondered whether he would return or not.
"It was important that my teammates knew which way I was going before they got on the field to start the work to defend our title," the team's all-time sack leader said from California. "It's time. I'm done."
Strahan finally made up his mind a week ago, but wanted to take the extra days to make sure his feeling on the matter was 100 percent.
He has long believed retirement was the route he would choose, but the finality of it gave him problems. In the past two years, Strahan said he has spoken with many high-profile retired players and asked for their advice on retired life, the emotions of the decision and how they knew they were done. The one consistent theme was this: Once you're done, it's forever. Thus, the finality was what posed the biggest problem for Strahan in making the ultimate decision.
"It's a tough decision, but I wanted to be fair to the Giants and fair to my teammates," he said.
Tony Agnone, Strahan's agent, said the Giants offered Strahan more money to play another season, but that was never the key issue. He noted that winning the championship might have been most important for Strahan.
"I really believe that was it," Agnone told The Associated Press. "He really felt he has a chance to repeat this year, so it was tough to walk away."
Giants co-owner John Mara was disappointed after Strahan telephoned him to say he was leaving football.
"I told him he's been a great Giant," Mara said. "He thanked me for everything the organization has done for him. I said, 'I think you've done more for us than we can ever do for you."'
Agnone added that getting the ring was probably the one thing that convinced Strahan to leave a game in which he might be the best end at playing both the run and the pass.
"He really felt he has a chance to repeat this year," Agnone said. "So it was tough to walk away."
Strahan seriously considered retirement before the start of last season, missing almost all of training camp while coming to a decision.
He returned days before the season, anchoring a defensive line that was instrumental in hounding New England quarterback Tom Brady in New York's stunning Super Bowl 17-14 victory over the previously unbeaten Patriots.
"I knew it was going to (eventually) happen," quarterback Eli Manning said. "He had a tremendous career. If that is the case, he picked a great season to go out on."
Strahan leaves the Giants as the team's all-time quarterback sack leader and a sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer. He also leaves after having donned the Blue and White more than any player in Giants history.
Strahan set the single-season mark of 22 1/2 sacks in 2001, getting the last one in the final game of the season when Brett Favre mysteriously fell late in the game, and No. 92 got credit for the sack. Favre announced his retirement shortly after the Giants' Super Bowl win.
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| Michael Strahan is leaving the game a Super Bowl winner. (Nick Laham / Getty Images) |
A second-round pick in the 1993 draft, Strahan is the team's' career sacks leader with 141 1/2. Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor had the old mark of 132 1/2, although that total does not included 9 1/2 the linebacker had as a rookie in 1981, the year before sacks became an official statistic.
Strahan was the Giants' leader in the locker room. He taught the young defensive ends how to play the position. He was also a gym rat, spending as much time working out as the youngest free agent trying to win a roster spot.
Fellow Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora was told of the retirement as he walked to the locker room after practice.
"I talked to Mike last week and he told me he was still unsure," Umenyiora said. "He was really, really thinking about it, but I didn't think he was going to do it today."
"It's a very, very sad day for me personally. ... I loved him like a brother. You put in 15 strong years in the NFL, man, that is something in this day and age is impossible to do."
"I am very happy for him," said receiver Amani Toomer, who played 12 seasons with Strahan. "I think he is going to find a way on his feet. I just wish him the best."
Justin Tuck is the leading candidate to move into Strahan's starting spot.
"The guy has had a great career, 15 years, a first ballot Hall of Famer," he said. "I'm not surprised, just how he did it. I thought he was more of a news conference guy, you know, the whole world watching."
Umenyiora felt Strahan was playing so well he would return this season.
"He retired at the top of his game," he said. "A lot of us don't get the chance to do that."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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