It’s Heartbreaking: A very loyal Green Bay Packers player has announced his sudden retirement, sending a powerful statement and bidding the team and supporters a heartfelt farewell.
GREEN BAY Despite the fact that Julius Peppers only played for the Green Bay Packers for three seasons, even the team must now acknowledge that it was a mistake to not have him stay for longer.
Peppers’ three years in Green Bay were obviously very meaningful to him, even though the Packers’ choice not to re-sign him following the 2016 season gave him the opportunity to return to Carolina, where he played college football (and basketball) at the University of North Carolina and started his NFL career with the Panthers in 2002.
This was made clear on Friday when Peppers announced his retirement following 17 NFL seasons (10 with the Panthers, 4 with the Chicago Bears, and 3 with the Packers) and 159.5 career sacks, good for fourth place in league history, with the NFL.
The 39-year-old Peppers said of his time in Titletown in a farewell post on The Players’ Tribune: “I guess more than anything, Green Bay just felt like home.” Being a part of the culture of a small town with kind people who love football was an amazing experience. I was sorry to leave Green Bay, and I doubt I would have traveled any farther than Carolina, my home state.
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“Therefore, to Chicago and Green Bay: I am grateful for your acceptance of me and for letting me be a member of your families.”
Peppers signed a $26 million, three-year contract when he moved to Green Bay in March of 2014. He would go on to record 29.5 sacks (including postseason ones) in three seasons, leading the Packers to two trips to the NFC Championship Game during that time.
Many players, including quarterback Aaron Rodgers, expressed their hope that Peppers would be re-signed following the Packers’ defeat to the Atlanta Falcons in the 2016 NFC Championship Game. Rather, numerous sources at the time claim that the Packers informed Peppers they were moving on and never extended an offer for him to come back. According to those sources, Peppers didn’t consider returning to Carolina until after that.
It proved to be a serious error in judgment because Peppers later signed a one-year contract worth $1.65 million and received a $1 million base salary when he rejoined the Panthers, where he recorded 11 sacks. When the Packers signed Ahmad Brooks to a one-year, $3.5 million contract during training camp and received only a 1.5-sack return on their investment, they effectively acknowledged their error. Among the players who were disappointed that Peppers wasn’t re-signed was Rodgers.
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In a video homage produced by the Packers and uploaded to the Panthers’ official website, Aaron Rodgers stated, “I cherished my time with Julius.” As a person and a teammate, I adore him. Even now, I still consider him a close friend. Among all the players who have played in the NFL, Julius Peppers is one of the few who truly deserves a ring. That is why I am sad that I did not get to play with him and give him the opportunity to win one. since he is among the greatest of all time.
“Aaron Rodgers, just for being an all-time great player and teammate… and for making me believe that somehow, a Hail Mary can be a high-percentage throw,” Peppers wrote in Friday’s essay, expressing their mutual gratitude for Rodgers. Man, there are things you can do that I have never seen anyone else do. I’m happy that I witnessed part of it firsthand.
Peppers played one more season in Carolina after his return, recording five sacks. With 16 sacks in the last two seasons with the Panthers, he nearly equaled the total of 11 (7.5 in 2017 and 3.5 in 2018) and Nick Perry’s 8.5 (seven in 2017 and 1.5 in 2018) sacks from the Packers’ previous two seasons combined. Throughout those two seasons, Matthews, Perry, and Peppers collectively counted $43 million against the Packers’ salary cap, while Peppers counted $8.5 million against Carolina’s.
