Retiring at Halftime: Heroic or Cowardly? My Take on Vontae Davis
First published by me (@mikey) here on Scorum. If yet to join, consider checking out Scorum -- sports media on the blockchain.
Nearly every week in the world of sports we see something we've never witnessed before, and that happened again this week in the NFL as two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Vontae Davis retired at halftime. Even his teammates were surprised according to ESPN Staff Writer Mike Rodak:
Linebacker Lorenzo Alexander alerted reporters to Davis' abrupt retirement after the game.
"I never have seen that," Alexander said. "Pop Warner, high school, pros. Never heard of it. Never seen it. It's just completely disrespectful to his teammates. ... He didn't say nothing to nobody. I found out going into the second half of the game. They said he's not coming out, he retired. That's it."
The Buffalo Bills, who were embarrassed 47-3 in week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens, were in the midst of another lopsided game as the first half of their matchup with San Diego ended with the Chargers up 28-6. It's understandable for any player to be disappointed in their team's performance, but for a 10-year veteran to abruptly retire is bizarre to say the least. While he didn't tell his teammates what was going on, Davis made a statement after the game that was shared by the NFL on Twitter.
Official Statement from Vontae Davis
In his statement, Davis explains that he "meant no disrespect to my teammates and coaches," and said he realized mid-game that he's unable to play up to the high standards he holds himself to. He told the coaches he didn't feel like himself and that he is retiring from the NFL.
Heroic or Cowardly? My Take
Vontae Davis mixed a good decision and self-awareness with terrible, cowardly timing.
It's difficult to take an honest look at yourself and realize that your best days are behind you. Davis, 30, is still relatively young with a lot of life ahead of him. Playing football is demanding and dangerous, and I would never blame any person for deciding to give up millions of dollars in order to preserve their health and spend more time with their family. This take courage and is an honorable act.
But timing is everything. What example does quitting at halftime set for others? Davis was part of a team of professionals and knew exactly what he was getting himself into when deciding to play another year of football. He quit on that team in the middle of a game. So while he says he meant no disrespect to his coaches and teammates, if I was a teammate, I would be disrespected.
While it's no comparison, I twice had players on teams I was a part of (in high school) declare that they were quitting, although they changed their mind. Instead of keeping them on the sidelines, the coach put them in the game. To this day that rubs me the wrong way because there were other players who were still passionate about the team and interested in giving it their all. So while Davis disowned and disrespected his team, the Bills are better off for not having a player who clearly doesn't want to be there on the roster.
I wish all the best to Davis and his family, but I don't plan on ever quitting a job in the middle of a shift, leaving my co-workers to deal with the mess I've left so I can ride off into the sunset.
Sources: ESPN, NFL (via Twitter)