Roddy White should retire with Atlanta Falcons, on his terms
By John Buhler
Roddy White has had the best career of any wide receiver to play for the Atlanta Falcons and should have the choice to retire with Atlanta in 2017.
If there is any player on the Atlanta Falcons roster that has earned a place in the Falcons Ring of Honor it is four-time Pro Bowler wide receiver Roddy White. He was the go-to receiver for quarterback Matt Ryan during the height of the Mike Smith era (2008-12), helping the Atlanta Falcons stand as one of the best organizations in football during that five-year window.
While White is clearly past his prime entering 2016, he has two more years left of his contract with the Atlanta Falcons and would like to play at least one season in new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, set to open for the 2017 NFL season.
Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said the following at his press conference at Flowery Branch Monday about Roddy White: “Well, he’s under contract now, and he’s one of those guys I feel strongly on in terms of the competitor and the leader and the teammate [he is]. I haven’t confirmed anything on that. He remains under contract, and I love all the stuff he stands for as a player.”
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In essence, Coach Quinn would love to have Roddy White play out the two years remaining on his Atlanta Falcons contract. However, the front office may not view him as a play worth the $6 million he will make next season and possibly cut ties with the franchise leader in receptions, yards, and touchdowns.
Julio Jones is clearly the No. 1 receiving option for the Atlanta Falcons entering 2016, but it wouldn’t sit well with a vast sector of the fan base to see one of its greatest players ever not finish out his stellar career in Atlanta.
One place White could land is in Tampa Bay to play for two of his former coaches in Dirk Koetter and Mike Smith. Imagining Roddy White in pewter instead of red and black feels more wrong than seeing former Pro Bowl linebacker Keith Brooking play for the Dallas Cowboys.
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Like White, Brooking spent his first 11 NFL seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, was a Pro Bowler several times, and for a six-year period (2002-2007) was one of the three best middle linebacker in football with the Baltimore Ravens’ Ray Lewis and the Chicago Bears’ Brian Urlacher.
Roddy White and Keith Brooking are what we call franchise Hall of Famers, as both are going to end up in the Falcons Ring of Honor at some point. However, both will probably miss out on enshrinement in Canton, as they aren’t certain Pro Football Hall of Fame players.
Keeping Roddy White for the next two years might end up hurting the Atlanta Falcons with regards to the salary cap, but it would serve the franchise in the long-term to never let its best receiver play for anybody else. Who knows, maybe playing his entire year for one team may end up helping Roddy White’s Hall of Fame candidacy?
In an era of professional sports dominated by the threat of players leaving the teams that drafted them via free agency, perhaps loyalty should not go unnoticed. Roddy White is still a fierce competitor and a great leader in the Atlanta Falcons receiving corps.
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He’s earned the luxury of being able to go out on his terms. If that is after the 2017 NFL season, that shouldn’t stand as an issue for the Atlanta Falcons organization to let him play out his final NFL contract. Rise Up!