ISiddiqui
02-25-2005, 03:24 PM
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1999696
Has Jerry Rice (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=126) run his last NFL pass pattern?
On Friday, the Seattle Seahawks (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=sea) released Rice. His agent told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that the move was made at Rice's request, the newspaper's Web site reported. <!---------------------INLINE HEADSHOT (BEGIN)--------------------->
http://espn.starwave.com/i/nfl/profiles/players/statsid/s126.jpg
Rice
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"We asked for his release, and obviously they want to accommodate him," Jim Steiner, Rice's longtime agent, told the Post-Intelligencer at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.
"We are grateful to Jerry and the role he was willing to fill for the Seahawks last year," coach Mike Holmgren said in a statement released by the team."He is one of the greatest players in the history of our game and we wish him nothing but the best."
The NFL's all-time leading receiver split last season with the Seahawks and Oakland Raiders (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=oak), who traded Rice to the Seahawks at midseason. In 11 games with the Seahawks, he had 25 catches for 362 yards and three touchdowns.
Rice is eager to return for a 21st NFL season if he can find the right situation, Steiner said.
"I think he still has the fire," Steiner said.
Among his dozens of NFL records, Rice is the career leader in receptions (1,549), reception yardage (22,895) and touchdown catches (197).
He also leads in total touchdowns with 207, 32 more than Emmitt Smith (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=821), who announced his retirement earlier this month.
Rice indicated after the Seahawks were eliminated by the St. Louis Rams (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=stl) in the playoffs last month that he still was interested in playing.
"I still feel like I have football left in me, a lot of football in me," he said.
However, it remains to be seen whether there is a team who might be interested in signing a 42-year-old, who began his career with the San Francisco 49ers (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=sfo) in 1985 and was on three Super Bowl winners with the 49ers, winning the Super Bowl MVP in 1989.
He was traded to the Raiders after the 2000 season and dealt to Seattle at the trading deadline. Last season, Rice had 30 catches for 429 yards, by far the lowest totals of his 20-year career other than in 1997, when he missed most of the season with a knee injury. His three touchdown receptions last season and two in 2003 were the lowest of his career for any full season other than his rookie year, when he also had three.
Among the other records he holds is receptions in 274 straight games, a streak that ended last season while he was still with the Raiders.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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For the LOVE OF GOD, Jerry, RETIRE NOW! Don't play another season. We just can't take it!
Has Jerry Rice (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=126) run his last NFL pass pattern?
On Friday, the Seattle Seahawks (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=sea) released Rice. His agent told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that the move was made at Rice's request, the newspaper's Web site reported. <!---------------------INLINE HEADSHOT (BEGIN)--------------------->
http://espn.starwave.com/i/nfl/profiles/players/statsid/s126.jpg
Rice
<!---------------------INLINE HEADSHOT (END)--------------------->
"We asked for his release, and obviously they want to accommodate him," Jim Steiner, Rice's longtime agent, told the Post-Intelligencer at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.
"We are grateful to Jerry and the role he was willing to fill for the Seahawks last year," coach Mike Holmgren said in a statement released by the team."He is one of the greatest players in the history of our game and we wish him nothing but the best."
The NFL's all-time leading receiver split last season with the Seahawks and Oakland Raiders (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=oak), who traded Rice to the Seahawks at midseason. In 11 games with the Seahawks, he had 25 catches for 362 yards and three touchdowns.
Rice is eager to return for a 21st NFL season if he can find the right situation, Steiner said.
"I think he still has the fire," Steiner said.
Among his dozens of NFL records, Rice is the career leader in receptions (1,549), reception yardage (22,895) and touchdown catches (197).
He also leads in total touchdowns with 207, 32 more than Emmitt Smith (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=821), who announced his retirement earlier this month.
Rice indicated after the Seahawks were eliminated by the St. Louis Rams (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=stl) in the playoffs last month that he still was interested in playing.
"I still feel like I have football left in me, a lot of football in me," he said.
However, it remains to be seen whether there is a team who might be interested in signing a 42-year-old, who began his career with the San Francisco 49ers (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=sfo) in 1985 and was on three Super Bowl winners with the 49ers, winning the Super Bowl MVP in 1989.
He was traded to the Raiders after the 2000 season and dealt to Seattle at the trading deadline. Last season, Rice had 30 catches for 429 yards, by far the lowest totals of his 20-year career other than in 1997, when he missed most of the season with a knee injury. His three touchdown receptions last season and two in 2003 were the lowest of his career for any full season other than his rookie year, when he also had three.
Among the other records he holds is receptions in 274 straight games, a streak that ended last season while he was still with the Raiders.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
---
For the LOVE OF GOD, Jerry, RETIRE NOW! Don't play another season. We just can't take it!