Many believe retirement is option Brooks will take

Derrick Brooks never missed a game in his 14-year career with the Bucs and they still took away his helmet.

But that doesn't mean he's going to lose his head. Brooks, 35, will take a few days to digest what happened Wednesday before deciding on his future.

One option is to call a news conference, dim the lights, play the career highlight film, throw a party at Raymond James Stadium with coaches and teammates, pose for the bronze bust statue that will rest in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and call it an era.

Will Brooks continue playing?

"Naw,'' former Bucs defensive tackle Warren Sapp said.

"I think he retires,'' said Bucs coach Raheem Morris. "But honestly, I don't know.''

"I think he retires,' said former Bucs quarterback Shaun King. "Everything he does is in Florida, his business, his school, the charitable work he does. I don't think he'll want to move somewhere else and play again.''

"He'll probably retire,' said Keyshawn Johnson. "He could go play somewhere for two years, then he would be nearly 40. It would take him a few years to decide what he wants to do after that. Now he's almost 45 and he's just starting to get going before he's 50.

"There's nothing else for him to accomplish. Why would he want to chase it? I know he's taken care of his business financially. Just get the bronze plaque ready.''

One person whose opinion counts is Bucs linebackers coach Joe Barry, a guy Brooks has asked for an honest evaluation of his play following each season.

"I think he can and will play next year,'' Barry said.

Brooks said he was 'surprised,' by the Bucs decision to release him along with four other veteran players Wednesday. But Brooks made it a point to meet with new defensive coordinator Jim Bates shortly after he was hired. Under Bates, the weakside linebacker position that Brooks plays would have some different responsibilities than in the Tampa Two system.

Brooks had already begun coming off the field in nickel passing situations. And as general manager Mark Dominik said, he couldn't fathom seeing Brooks on the sideline wearing a baseball cap.

Brooks had one year remaining on his contract and many believe he would've walked away on his own terms after the 2009 season.

Having been named to an 11th Pro Bowl last year, Brooks believes he can still play at high level. He also has watched safety John Lynch and Warren Sapp demonstrate there is football life after the Bucs. Lynch went to four Pro Bowls and played in an AFC Championship game with the Denver Broncos. Sapp's experience with the Raiders wasn't nearly as idyllic, although he did post some decent individual performances.

But Brooks has only played for one organization, where he was perhaps the most reveered player in Bucs history. He was the face of the franchise, so it's hard to imagine Brooks as just one of the faces in another organization.

"We understand who Derrick Brooks is,'' Dominik said. "We want him to be part of the Buccaneers family in the future and we expect him to be part of the Buccaneer family in the future. To me, Derrick Brooks will always be a Buccaneer. Whenever anybody says, No. 55, in my mind, it'll always be Derrick Brooks.''

Brooks has accomplished everything a player can in the NFL -- he's won a Super Bowl, been named the Defensive Player of the Year, the Walter Payton Man of the Year and been to 11 Pro Bowls, including 10 straight.

With no real carrot left to chase, why not just enjoying eating it?

(Times photo -- Brian Cassella. Click to enlarge.)

Comments

[Robert]

DB, it is selfish for me to say, but I don't want to see you wear any other jersey. I think I speak on behalf of every fan in this town when I say that. If you still want to be around the game I'm sure they have a position waiting for you here! If they don't they will create one! Buddy, I know your heart wants to play, but we fans have watched you start to get the kind of injuries you used to avoid! I will miss seeing DB return INT's for TD's or you laying the wood on RB's, but I would love to still have you be an active part of this franchise! I wish you well in what ever you decide and can't wait to see that 55 raised into the rafters!

[DR]

What a terrible quote for Raheem Morris. If Derrick Brooks retires, then this really is quite the embarrassment. Not the best way to start a regime, by stepping all over the franchise's legend. You're telling me this couldn't have been handled in a better manner if he does retire?
Whatever decision he makes, it is the right decision. I don't think he can make a wrong decision.

[Valrico Rick]

The motor in most high level players often runs longer than a team wants to keep them around, and sometimes they price themselves right out of job. Nameth didn't finish his career as a Jet, and Montana didn't play his last game for the 49ers. It happens, and it's part of the game. Brooks wasn't the first and he won't be the last.

[GoBucs]

DR go to the Cowboys website... Losing Brooks is hard to swallow. But i totally agree with you Robert, its not selfish. DB = Tampa thats how it always should be. Brooks can still play at a high level, but it would almost be unreal to see 55 in any different uniform then a Bucs. I hope he retires because if he does he will go out on top. Also Brooks was never seriously hurt and it would be a shame to see him get hurt as the years go by on another team like a Seau. But good luck to you DB where ever you go I'll cheer for you!

[OAR]

Rick, nice to see you changed your article, after myself and another poster recognized a couple of errors. Good job. Changed from "could fathom" to "couldn't fathom" and "broze plague" to "bronze plaque".
Val how can you say Brooks priced himself out of a job. He had one year left on a restructed paycut(second time for the team, too) contract.

[Robert]

GOBUCS, I do agree. I would hate to see him try to play one more year and suffer a bigger injury than the ones that he has gotten lately. DR, Raheem might not have said things the way you would have liked, but look at the magnitude of what he was doing. You think he wanted to be the guy in that position? How is it embarassing if he retires? DR, what would you say about the new regime if DB came back next year and tore an ACL? I know what the infamous DR would say," They should have gotten rid of him last year when they were making all those changes. He has been getting older and an injury was unavoidable." DR, that's exactly what u would say! The new regime was looking at what was best for the organization and not just one player.

[OAR]

Speculation! Speculation! I think I will believe what Derrick Brooks has to say about his future. That "the man" tell us, please.

[GoBucs]

I wish the Gag order Jerry Jones put on players and coaches worked on Dallas fans too. That way we would not DR for a bit.

[why]

DB #55 deserved better than this. He should have been given options, to walk away with his head high or take a reduced role if need be. The man was never bigger than the team or the game itself. When I have kids, it will be role models like DB I tell my kids to pay attention to, in the end he still has integrity and respect from most if not all who watched him play.

[OAR]

GoBucs, I second that!

[Robert]

WHY,if we now DB the way we think we do I doubt he wanted to take a lesser role than he already had.

[Cinemike]

In a perfect world, DB would be setting @ the coaches table in '09. One can only hope the Bucs' front office feels the same...

[mike]

Oh Please Derrick go play for an NFC South team and come back and break Luke McCown in half with a weakside blitz!!!! PLEASE HELP THE BUCS GO 3-13!!!! The media and the fans deserve it!!

[Stacy]

Mr. Brooks, I hope you retire. I wish it could be different but I think you more than anyone knows how the game and business is played. I want you retired before you become too injured to play. Please go out on the top of your game, don't go out broken down. I hope that your jersey number 55 is retired and your name be enterd into the ring of fame the very day you make that decision. I think you are a role model for young people that think that $ is all there is. More than anything, even if you play somewhere else, you have the respect of the people.The players and the people, thus the Pro Bowls and the fan appreciation. Not one person has a bad word to utter about you, ever, that I am aware of. You are a pinnacle in our community, I just wish it could have been handled better for you. Good Luck and Gods speed.

[Stacy]

Someone please direct HARVEY ARNDT and GRS to the article regarding: "Bucs lead NFL in salary-cap space", for their educational a55whippings. I'll take that apology now...

[Robert]

Mike, you are a jerk off! How do the media and fans deserve a 3-13 season? Oh, I see a 3-13 season would for sure land us Bradford or McCoy!! I know you thought you sounded brilliant saying that, but you sounded like a A%%! If we go 3-13 this year we will for sure have a franchise QB next year. It's a win win Mike!! GET SOME BRAINS YOU KNUCKLEHEAD!!

[Larry]

I hope he goes to another NFC South team and I hope he goes into the Hall of Fame as a member of his new team. The Bucs SUCK! They have no class - i hope they move away. i will never spend a dime on them again. Raheem, you are a terrible coach and a worse human being

[Stacy]

Larry, calm down...It would be much easier if you moved away. We built this little bridge called the sunshine skyway, dont let the name fool ya, it is small. Just step off?!?

[mike]

Oh but you don't understand, next year will just be the first year of may 3-13 seasons !!!! the year is 1976 all over again and Hugh Culverhouse has been reincarnated. The fans and the media deserve this because of the years of complaining I've heard from these moron fans (probably like you Robert) who have not been able to get over Dungy being fired and how mean and nasty Gruden and Allen are. Well you all wanted change so here you have it Cheap owner fires expensive coach, hires cheap coach, dumps productive players to save money (BUT HEY MORRIS IS HAPPY TO BE HERE AND HE IS A HIGH ENERGY GUY) Heck if they get the number one overall pick next year they will probably trade out of it. Yes it is a WIN WIN the Bucs will look ridiculous next year, Gruden will sit back and take those cheapskates money then come back next year and Jam the Bucs.

[RaysforaBuc]

Like most Buc fans, Brooks has been my favorite player since he first stepped onto the field. While I agree it will be a painful sight to see DB in another uniform, I love him too much to wish him into retirement.

No one since Singletary is more impassioned than DB on defense. He showed more loyalty to the Bucs (twice restructuring deals to allow us to sign FA's) than the Bucs showed him return.

I understand the move the Bucs made. I get it completely... It was still the wrong move (pertaining to Brooks). Was he declining? Yes. Could he still play at a dominating level? The answer is still YES! Brooks as a small weakside cover 2 LB at age 35 is still better than any supposed "better fit" young LB they'll find in the draft or FA.

I would like to make the motion to have #55 retired on opening day whether or not DB retires from football.

[Cinemike]

What a douche!!! Mike, next time you feel inclined to share your idiocy, er...DON'T!!!

[Stacy]

Raysforabuc....I hope he does retire because YOU would LOVE him into a body cast or walking with a permanent limp (which he mostlikely already will),the rest of his life. I dont want to see him as a back up to some snot nosed, HGH, Roided, cracked out freak, who calls him Pops and means it. DB we love you, go home and be happy.

[RaysforaBuc]

Stacy... Despite his injuries DB has never missed a start since winning the role and he made the pro bowl this past season. He will start where ever he ends up and he's 35 not 40. Let's not put him out to pasture just yet.

You're just being ignorant and selfish.

[Stacy]

Raysfor a Buc...I am not being ignorant, I am being serious and talking from experience. I dont remember saying he was 40 - but if I did I stand corrected. I know better. He makes the probowl in part becasue he is good, but also in part because he is respected in the NFL by his peers. Do you really watch the ProBowl because you think they are gonna play their a55es off or just to see your fav players? No oNe watches that game for the plays of the day. Not he, but alot of those players are put in the probowl based on their popularity and we all know it.

[Tuck]

Too bad Dungy retired. I would have loved to have seen DB make another Pro Bowl, this time with the Colts.

I hated seeing Lynch get booted too, but it was nice to see him have success in Denver.

As long as DB stays away from the NFC South, I'll be happy to see him play again on Sunday.

[Stacy]

Also, Rays...being selfish would be playing the man into the ground, not looking out for his well being...that is selfish...

[RaysforaBuc]

Did you read a word that I wrote... The guy has never missed a game due to injury!

[drspb]

Write it down: Derrick Brooks will be in either a Dolphin or a Jag uniform in 2009.

[Larry]

Stacy - i have been a Bucs backer since 76, i was at the first home game they ever won. When Dungy was here there were all class. Now we have idiots like Dominik and Morris with the show. Dominik said there have been player mistakes over the last few year (Hey mark, where were you then? Oh yeah - MAKING THOSE MISTAKES). Morris was such a good D Coordinator he lasted one season at Kansas State - the Big 12 has no defense and he couldn't cut it there. Until the Bucs are out of the Glazer hands and Man U is a memory, these type of cheap moves will continue. Remember Richard Williamson, he had more experience than Morris. Morris sucks, Dominik sucks, the Glazers suck. They should all get out of here. As for me, I hate this state, but God has me here. Stacy - perhaps you should get a clue. Let me know how you feel when the Bucs posts 10 + losses every year until they get rid of the pretenders who have the keys. They are horrid human beings

[Larry]

Oh yeah - stacy, you are a real class act. Tell me to kill myself because i point out the bucs have no class. I bet you even kiss your mom with that mouth. You are a loser

[DR]

Robert, you obviously haven't read any past comments by myself. I never blame injury for anything and if Brooks played next year and got hurt, it would suck, but its part of the game. Injury is part of football. Blaming injury for losing means your team has no depth. But not many teams have depth in this league, if any. The NFL is watered down like never before.
Morris making that comment means they really didn't talk much with Brooks before they let him go. If he retires, I think they could have handled this better. It's better to see a franchise class act like Brooks retire, rather than get released with a bunch of other guys and then retire. If you think that doesn't make sense than i don't know what would.
Larry, this is the show me off season for the Glazers. they have money to spend. It worries me that they released all thos players after franchising Bryant which coincidently matches up in money saved and money spent. I agree with you if they spend no money in free agency that the Glazers would be worse than Culverhouse. By the way, don't spend any time with stacy, she and her friend resort to lying and stupid comments when you show them up which is rather easy.

[DR]

oar, nice to see you correct Rick Stroud on his grammar. You're the man! (sarcasm) I just hate to inform you that in the same blog that you correct Rick on his grammar, you use "restructed" which is not a word. It is RESTRUCTURED. Please don't choke on your own foot you utter complete moron.

[OAR]

DR-flip or Dumb Ranter maybe, You are correct for once and I'm wrong. I did make a typo, but guess what reporting/writing is not how I make my living. What you don't realize is myself and another poster had corrected the article, when it came out the first time, and low and behold, Rick corrects his article and then gets rid of our posts. Not surprised!

[DR]

You are talking about minor mistakes from a reporter trying to get information out as fast as he can. there is nothing wrong with that and why waste space for blogs that correct spelling errors? This is a sports blog and nobody gives a crap that you spotted errors. Instead, you cry like a baby because you have nothing better to do than find ways to rip the writers because they are honest.
Nobody cares about little errors. The educated people understand the context in what he is writing.

[OAR]

Dr-flip, classic, yet there you are posting the same thing about spelling/typo errors in your earlier post. I was more concerned about the posts being removed, more than the errors, a--.