The Redskins promoted a major player announcement at 1:30 p.m., and they beat their own deadline with something about as major as they could offer that didn’t involve a quarterback.
Veteran linebacker London Fletcher took to the podium and told reporters he was “99 percent certain” he was retiring after the season, saying he was 90 percent sure of that going into this season.
The Redskins play their home finale Sunday against the Cowboys, and the 38-year-old Fletcher said he wanted a chance to say goodbye to the fans there before he went.
It will be the 255th straight game for the 16th-year linebacker, and he’s one of just four players in league history with a streak of more than 250 games.
He spent the first four years of his career with the Rams, then spent five with the Bills before the last seven with the Redskins.
His announcement will make the game a bit of a celebration for the Redskins, something they haven’t had much reason for this year.
It will also be a bit of a distraction from the ugly mess their season has become, which doesn’t represent the class with which he played for so long.