A tearful Patrick Willis announced his retirement from the 49ers today, saying that he has decided he did everything he set out to do in the game of football.
“I’ve given this game everything I had,” Willis said. “I’ve had the most amazing eight years of football in my entire life being part of this historic organization.”
Willis indicated that the primary reason he’s retiring is that he’s suffered injuries to both feet. Willis said he thinks God gave him feet that let him move like a great player, but those feet no longer have anything left.
“If I had anything left in these feet -- you’ve all seen me, I broke my hand on a Sunday, had surgery on a Monday and played with a cast on Thursday -- but it’s something about these feet. When you don’t have feet, for me, that’s what has made me who I am,” Willis said.
Willis said he loves playing football but wants to be healthy for the rest of his life.
“Football has been everything to me and it’s provided an amazing platform to me,” Willis said. “It’s my health first.”
As a result, Willis is walking away while he still can.