Lions CB Rashean Mathis retires from NFL
Dave Birkett
Detroit Lions cornerback Rashean Mathis is retiring from the NFL after 13 seasons, he announced through the team today.
And while his decision caught no one off guard – he acknowledged after finishing last season on injured reserve that he was considering retirement – the timing surprised even his agent, Doug Hendrickson.
"He just, 13 years and he's obviously set financially and in a really good spot and just felt now was the time to move on and start the next phase of his life," Hendrickson said.
Mathis, 35, played the last three seasons with the Lions and was a steady performer on the field and a big influence in the locker room, where he was a mentor to young cornerbacks like Darius Slay and Alex Carter.
Mathis started 36 of the 38 games in which he appeared with the Lions but missed the second half of last season with a brain injury that landed him on injured reserve. Mathis, who did not return phone calls seeking comment today, said after the season that he had recovered from that injury and that would not be a factor in his decision.
"I'm as healthy as can be," Mathis said after the season. "There's every nick and crain that could have been unfolded or discovered, I've gone through that and more. And that's what I feel I needed to do to make the right decision if it was to continue to play or not. And so I've done that with no question. So whatever decision I make, it won't be because of health reasons whether I play or not play because I've passed with flying colors on the health issues."
It's unclear how Mathis fit into the Lions' plans for this fall. He was due a $500,000 roster bonus early next month, and the Lions were set to meet with Hendrickson at the NFL combine next week to discuss Mathis' future.
The Lions return their top three cornerbacks from last year in Slay, Nevin Lawson and Quandre Diggs, and get rookie Carter back from injured reserve. But they still are expected to address the position in some way this off-season.
The Lions also cut running back Joique Bell in a cost-saving move today. Together, the two moves give the Lions about $4 million in additional cap space for 2016.
For now, the Lions project to have about $28 in cap room this off-season, a number that could grow to more than $40 million should Calvin Johnson retire.
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Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
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