Well, the inevitable finally occurred...after 20+ years of playing in the NFL, the Jerry Rice gas tank finally hit the E marker.
I have mixed feelings about his decision to retire now. Part of me feels that he should have retired 3 seasons ago, rather than bounce around other teams, trying to hang onto a fading career. We all know about the "one more fight" syndrome that boxers suffer from (step forward the latest example, Evander Holyfield). Lance Armstrong showed everybody how to leave at the top, and walk away with no regrets.
OTOH Rice must really love the game - he always trained hard and consistently, even in his final seasons, and he is still the only NFL player to have returned in the same regular season from a torn ACL, which was a testament to his fundamental level of fitness and determination. He genuinely loved to play the game, and who are we to deny him that right if a team is willing to have him on their roster?
Ultimately, the Denver Broncos made the decision easy for Rice, by offering him a roster role that would have required him to be inactive for some games. That sent a signal to Rice that his time in the sun really was over. At that point I think elemental pride kicked in. Mike Shanahan, in a stylish, respectful way, nudged Jerry Rice into retirement.