24 Hours Before NFL Season Begins, Super Bowl Champion Announces Retirement After 12-Year Career: “I Gave the Game Everything”

The National Football League is the dream destination of every football player, and being able to play for at least one game is the ultimate accomplishment. Especially for the wide receivers with enough skill sets, making an impact in the NFL is a tough deal. One such athlete who was able to make it through was Emmanuel Sanders, and unfortunately, the veteran has decided to hang up his cleats.

On Wednesday, Emmanuel Sanders announced his retirement after 12 years of a wonderful journey. The 35-year-old thanked all the people that played a role in his career and the franchises that helped him reach this point.

“After 12 years in the NFL, three Super Bowl appearances, two Pro Bowls [and] one Super Bowl win, I’m ending my career as a Super Bowl champion,” Sanders said in a video posted Wednesday by the Broncos on Twitter. “It’s been a great ride,” he added.

The veteran also mentioned that he gave everything he had for the sport, and the journey has been magnificent playing for various franchises throughout his career.

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“I gave it my all. Every single rep, every single play, I tried to go 100 percent as hard as I can. And that’s why I can hang my hat and say I gave the game everything I had, and the game gave it back to me.” he said. The SMU product was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2010 NFL draft. Later on, he went to Denver, San Francisco, Saints, and Buffalo.

Sanders was one of the best WRs in the NFL

Throughout his career, Sanders made three Super Bowl appearances, Two Pro Bowl selections and ultimately won a Super Bowl Championship with the Denver Broncos. He played for more than six seasons with the franchise.

He caught 404 passes for 5,361 yards and 28 touchdowns in 78 games for the Broncos. Sanders made a significant contribution in the 24-10 Super Bowl win of Denver against the Carolina Panthers. He recorded six catches for 83 yards and became a part of the victory.

In the mid of 2019 season, the receiver was traded to the Niners, and in 2020 he played with the Saints. Last season it was the Bills who gave him an opportunity. He recorded 51 touchdowns and 704 catches for 9,245 receiving yards in his entire NFL career. It will be interesting to see how much success he attains in the second phase of his life.

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