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Holmes announces retirement from NFL

By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
(Archive)

Updated: November 21, 2007, 1:50 PM ET

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Four-time Pro Bowl tailback Priest Holmes, who returned to the field with the Kansas City Chiefs last month following nearly two years of inactivity, has decided to leave the game, and announced his retirement at a Wednesday afternoon news conference.

Holmes, 34, spent the past few days counseling with family members and friends, and speaking with medical experts about a re-occurrence of the neck problems that sidelined him for two years, two sources close to him told ESPN.com on Tuesday night. The decision to retire came after Holmes suffered three hits in last Sunday's game at Indianapolis that left him with some tingling in his extremities.

Priest Holmes

Holmes
Chiefs team president Carl Peterson told Holmes to go home Tuesday and to take the night to sleep on his decision, ESPN.com's John Clayton reported. According to a source, it wasn't that Holmes re-injured his neck as much as he experienced a recurrence of the symptoms that led to his 18-month layoff.

"After the third [hit]," a source close to Holmes told ESPN.com on Wednesday, "it was like Priest thought, 'Maybe this is God's way of telling me this is it.' [Coach) Herm Edwards asked him, when he came out after the third hit, if he could go back in, and it was like, 'Uh, let me think about this.' He kind of knew that was the message that this was it for him."

Foxsports.com first reported Tuesday night that Holmes had suffered another neck injury that threatened his career.

Chiefs coach Herm Edwards acknowledged to The Kansas City Star that he was aware of the Foxsports.com report, conceded that Holmes had been "dinged" in the game, and said the condition of the 11-year veteran was being evaluated.

Said the source close to Holmes: "This has been a cumulative thing. It wasn't just the incident in the 2005 game with San Diego, but rather a succession of hits. From a life's standpoint, Priest will be fine. He just knows he can't play football anymore."

Holmes originally suffered severe head and neck trauma in an Oct. 30, 2005 game against the Chargers. He has spent nearly two years recovering from the injuries and most league observers felt that Holmes would never play again.

But he returned to the field in an Oct. 21 game against the Oakland Raiders, and he has appeared in four games this season, rushing 46 times for 137 yards and catching five passes for seven yards. Holmes has not scored a touchdown.

In recent weeks his workload was increased because of a foot injury suffered by Chiefs' starter Larry Johnson. Because of the injury, Holmes started the past two games.

E-Ticket: Priest Holmes

Even for one of the NFL's biggest enigmas, Priest Holmes' comeback try was a weird move. As he headed back, ESPN.com's Elizabeth Merrill checked into it. E-Ticket

Holmes spent the final half of the 2005 season on injured reserve and the entire 2006 campaign on the NFL's physically unable to perform list. Because of the head and neck trauma, and a serious hip injury that threatened to end his career in 2004, Holmes has played in only 19 games since the end of the 2003 season.

He surprised even Kansas City officials by reporting to training camp this summer but began the drills on the physically unable to perform list, so he could not participate in any full-team segments of practice. At the conclusion of the preseason, the Chiefs placed Holmes on the non-football injury list, which meant he could not return until after the sixth week of the 2007 season.

Even then, there was considerable skepticism that Holmes would ever play again. But Holmes began practicing on Oct. 17, and was activated for the game against the Raiders just four days later.

"In my opinion, he's about as good as he's going to get," Edwards said at the time. "The only thing you don't know is when he gets tackled and he hits the ground, can he hold onto the football? He hasn't had any contact. … He's been knocked around in practice, but he hasn't had any contact. He's done everything you can do, except play."

The Kansas City franchise's all-time leader in total touchdowns (83) and rushing touchdowns (76), Holmes set a then-league record by scoring 27 times in 2003. That record has since been broken.

In 106 appearances, Holmes has carried 1,780 times for 8,172 yards and 86 touchdowns. One of the NFL's premier all-around backs in his prime, the former University of Texas star also has 339 receptions for 2,962 yards and eight touchdowns. He has posted four seasons with 1,000 yards rushing, including three years with more than 1,400 yards.

Holmes began his career with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted college free agent in 1998, and signed with the Chiefs as an unrestricted free agent in 2001.

Holmes' retirement will leave the Chiefs perilously thin at tailback. Johnson will miss a third straight game on Sunday with a foot injury that might sideline him the rest of season. The only other tailback on the roster is rookie Kolby Smith, a fifth-round draft choice from Louisville who has carried just 10 times for 19 yards.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. Senior NFL writer John Clayton contributed to this story.

Always sad to see a guy have to go out like this. But this is football, and everyone knows the consequences of trying to play longer than your body will let you.

Hang it up while you can still live a normal life, and walk away with your head high.

It's unfortunate to see a hall of fame quality player have his career cut short by injury. If he had another 1-2 seasons of healthy football (at some point in his career) he probably would have been in Canton.

Looks like the Chiefs kinda have themselves in a pickle. They trade away Bennett, are about to put Larry Johnson on IR and Priest retires. Looking a little thin at RB. Maybe this is where Lamont Jordan ends up?

I agree. It's hard to see a player forced to retire when you can tell his heart is still in it.

Ahh man that's tough,, Holmes was a very very good back.. sorry to see him go. there was a time when I hoped we would try to snag him..

Best of luck Priest

Well Priest screwed my fantasy team

Yes absolutely. He's making the right choice.

Take care Holmes, you had some great plays and were solid, sorry to see an injury, especially a neck injury, cause retirement...but very understandable!

Anybody think we'll be seeing and hearing Priest as an announcer? I can see it!