As former Falcons running back Devonta Freeman waits for the kind of contract that simply won’t be available to a 28-year-old running back who has missed 16 games over the past two seasons due to injury and who hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season since 2016, there have been reports and rumors that he’ll take a year off from the game or possibly even retire.
On Monday evening, Freeman tweeted a special, heartfelt Memorial Day message: “I got 10 more years in me. Kill that fake retirement sh-t!! & Btw F all y’all!”
He deleted the message, but likely not because he changed his mind about playing 10 more years or that he doesn’t want that “fake retirement sh-t” to be killed. He probably realized that the “F all y’all” was a little over the top.
The fact remains that the market doesn’t match Freeman’s expectations, or the kind of money to which he’s become accustomed. Not many running backs make big money anymore; Freeman’s best option at this point is to take the best deal he can find, become part of a rotation, and hope to extend his career by not being overused.
Ultimately, he needs to ask himself whether it’s worth it, based on what he has made, what he has saved, and whether he wants to go through the grind of preparing for a season and playing a season for the money he’s being offered. That’s a decision that only Freeman can make, and it’s a decision that for most running backs becomes inevitable.