20 Athletes Who Desperately Need to Retire in 2015
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It’s hard to blame a professional athlete for staying in the sport for as long as they possibly can. For one, they’re playing the game they love. Secondly, and sometimes more importantly, they are still being paid millions of dollars, which is always hard to walk away from. That’s why I’m here to help; here are 20 athletes well past their prime who desperately need to retire in 2015.
20. Steve Nash
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20. Steve Nash
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The two-time NBA MVP has played in only 15 games since the beginning of the 2013 season. At 40 years old and with debilitating injuries, it’s clear Steve Nash will never be close to the same player he was during his prime again. It’s time for him to hang them up and await his induction into basketball's Hall of Fame.
19. Ichiro Suzuki
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19. Ichiro Suzuki
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Is it hard for anyone else to believe that Ichiro is 41-years-old? One of the greatest pure hitters of his generation, Ichiro has seen his two greatest strengths, hitting for average and stealing bases, rapidly decline over the last couple years. While still seeing extended playing time, Ichiro hit .284 with only 15 steals while offering essentially zero extra base power.
18. Greg Oden
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18. Greg Oden
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I commend Oden for trying to make several comebacks, but it’s become clear the basketball gods just don’t want him playing basketball. It’s incredible that he’s just 26 years old, since he was drafted first overall almost eight years ago. Oden has participated in only three seasons, and due to injuries, has played in just 23 games since 2010.
17. Santana Moss
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17. Santana Moss
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Moss was the No. 1 wide receiver in Washington for years and has had quite a successful career. The 35-year-old University of Miami alum recorded only 10 receptions for the Redskins in 2014 and was in head coach Jay Gruden’s doghouse the entire season.
16. Udonis Haslem
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16. Udonis Haslem
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Haslem has long been an important piece of the Miami Heat franchise. The University of Florida alum has played only for the Heat in his 12-year career and has three championship rings to his name. Now that LeBron is gone, it’s clear the Heat won’t win a title any time soon and Haslem, who is only averaging 15 minutes-per-game, clearly doesn’t have much left in the tank.
15. Richard Jefferson
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15. Richard Jefferson
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Since starring in the early 2000s with the New Jersey Nets and putting up big scoring numbers, Jefferson has bounced around the league in recent years. Now with the Dallas Mavericks, Jefferson is playing only 14.5 minutes-per-game and scoring just 4.9 points-per-contest.
14. Jason Terry
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14. Jason Terry
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Terry was the best sixth-man in the NBA for a couple years during his tenure with the Dallas Mavericks. After Joining the Celtics in 2012, “The Jet” hasn’t been able to find a home and his latest stop has been with the Houston Rockets. Terry is little more than a spot-up shooter at this point in his career, which is troubling considering his 40.8% field goal percentage so far this season.
13. Alex Rodriguez
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13. Alex Rodriguez
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Even before being suspended for all of the 2014 season, A-Rod was performing nowhere near the level of play we’ve become accustomed to. Rodriguez hasn’t hit the 20 home run mark since 2010 and had an average of just .244 in his injury-shortened 2013 season.
12. John Abraham
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12. John Abraham
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Abraham has been a star in the NFL since he became a full-time starter with the New York Jets in 2001. The 36-year-old outside linebacker has had eight double-digit sack seasons since, including 11.5 in 2013 for the Arizona Cardinals. Abraham played only one game in 2014 and suffered a concussion. He discussed whether he should retire or not with Bruce Arians before the Cards placed him on injured reserve.
11. Kendrick Perkins
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11. Kendrick Perkins
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Perkins is only 30 years old, but he’s struggling mightily now in his 12th season in the NBA. This year marks the first season since 2004 that Perkins hasn’t been an every game starter and for the second season in a row, is only averaging 19.5 minutes-per-game for Scottie Brooks and the Thunder. Perkins is shooting just 41.5% from the field, which for a big man is simply embarrassing.
10. Rafael Furcal
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10. Rafael Furcal
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The free agent shortstop had one of the best arms in all of baseball during his prime. Furcal played only nine games for the Marlins in 2014 and missed the entire 2013 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He very recently was injured again while playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic.
9. Jason Giambi
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9. Jason Giambi
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Giambi is no more than a pinch hitter at this stage of his career. The 2000 American League MVP had only 70 plate appearances in 2014 and is currently deciding whether to continue his career or become a coach. With a .133 average and only two home runs last season, I think it’s clear a career change is needed.
8. Jason Babin
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8. Jason Babin
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Now with his seventh team, Jason Babin’s career looks like it’s coming to a close. In 2014, his first season with the New York Jets, Babin started only four games and finished the year with only two sacks. For a man who once had an 18-sack season in 2011 with the Eagles, Babin should call it quits.
7. Chone Figgins
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7. Chone Figgins
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Figgins was once one of the craftiest players in the game during his time with the Angels. He’s simply been one of the worst players in all of baseball the past several seasons and had a miserable 2014 season off the bench for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Figgins hit under .200 in his previous two seasons before raising it all the way up to a blistering .217 in 2014 (sarcasm alert).
6. Kevin Garnett
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6. Kevin Garnett
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It’s hard to watch what Garnett has become. “KG” dominated the league for so many years and had virtually no weaknesses on the court. The future hall of famer has struggled since being traded to the Nets in 2013 and averaged just 6.5 points-per-game last season. Garnett is barely able to play more than 20 minutes-per-game and should retire before his body takes too much more of a beating.
5. Martin Brodeur
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5. Martin Brodeur
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It seemed like arguably the greatest goaltender in NHL history had completed his storied career when he had yet to join a team by the start of the 2014-15 season. The 42-year-old Brodeur then signed a one-year contract with the St. Louis Blues and has played in seven games so far this season. Brodeur has not been a quality goaltender since the start of the 2010 season and is currently on a leave of absence from the team to ponder his future.
4. Kenyon Martin
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4. Kenyon Martin
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Martin was the No. 1 overall-pick in 2000 by the New Jersey Nets and was one of the more athletic power forwards the NBA has seen in some time. The volatile player is now 37 years old and no longer a rotation-level player at this stage of his career. Martin is currently in the midst of a 10-day contract with the Milwaukee Bucks.
3. Steven Jackson
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3. Steven Jackson
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The Atlanta Falcons running back will be 32 years old entering the 2015 season, an ancient age for the position in the NFL. Jackson stayed healthy for the most part in 2014 and had a slightly better season than 2013, but that’s not saying much. In his two seasons in Atlanta, Jackson is averaging 3.6 yards per carry and doesn’t have nearly the same explosion or power he had early in his career.
2. Vince Carter
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2. Vince Carter
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“Vinsanity” may go down as the greatest dunker and one of the best leapers in NBA history. Carter will turn 38 on Jan. 26 and no longer can come close to the same type of explosion that made him a star early in his career. The Memphis Grizzlies reserve is limited to a style of game of mostly just shooting threes, a shot he is making at a pitiful-rate of 29.2%
1. Marco Scutaro
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1. Marco Scutaro
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Scutaro’s career was rejuvenated following a mid-season trade from the Colorado Rockies to the San Francisco Giants in 2012. The second baseman carried the Giants through the 2012 postseason, earned NLCS MVP honors, and had the game hitting in Game 4 of the World Series. Now 39 years old, Scutaro has a career-threatening back injury, which limited him to just five games in 2014.
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