PRIEST HOLMES TO RETIRE?

November 9, 2005

Rumor: Holmes To Retire

NBC Affiliate in KC

At 10 PM Central NBC News led off with a story about news on RB Priest Holmes. Jack Harry, Sports Director for that station reported that he spoke with two higher sources within the Chiefs organization and they have said that Priest Holmes indeed may retire as early as tomorrow. In Florida today, Holmes was getting a 3rd opinion on the hit he took from SD DE Shawn Merriman two weeks ago. Apparently what has been found is a lump on or within Priest's spine and if he were to take one more big hit, he could face paralysis.

Milkman delivers · November 9, 2005

You have some kind of link for this?

Chisoxfn · November 9, 2005

Smells like bs, but who knows.

WilliamTell · November 9, 2005

I hope this doesn't happen. I know he was talking about retirement a while back, so in my opinion, this is believable.

Jimbo's Drinker · November 9, 2005

Jack harry does work in KC...maybe there is some substance.

GoodAsGould · November 9, 2005

QUOTE(WilliamTell @ Nov 9, 2005 -> 06:28 AM)

I hope this doesn't happen. I know he was talking about retirement a while back, so in my opinion, this is believable.

Well you guys wont really miss a beat with Larry Johnson back there.... and that O-Line making holes for him.

SoxFanForever · November 9, 2005

Kinda funny that they drafted Johnson because they thought Holmes had a slight chance at retirement with his hip a few years back and now they might have to face that again and he is there to replace the Priest again.

Jordan4life_2007 · November 9, 2005

First Owens, now this. My fantasy teams are going up in smoke.

Pierzynski 12 · November 9, 2005

He's in my prayers :pray

Elcaballo45 · November 9, 2005

This is from fanball's site.

Chiefs: Holmes' career may be over

by Fanball Staff - Fanball.com

Wednesday, November 9, 2005

News

KSHB NBC TV in Kansas City is reporting that Priest Holmes has "very possibly" played his final game in a Chiefs uniform and could announce his retirement from the NFL as soon as Thursday. According to the report, further examinations revealed a lump on his spine that could lead to paralysis if he continued to play. The Chiefs have not officially confirmed the report and, as of Tuesday, were awaiting the results of a third evaluation in Miami.

Views

If this diagnosis is indeed true, it would not surprise us at all to hear that Holmes is hanging them up. He admitted publicly to considering retirement around the same time Ricky Williams walked out of the Dolphins locker room. If Holmes indeed calls it a career, Larry Johnson immediately becomes a top-five fantasy running back.

WilliamTell · November 9, 2005

http://www.profootballnet.com/content/view/716/58/

There's a link, basically the same thing as just posted.

Pierzynski 12 · November 9, 2005

Chiefs running back Priest Holmes may be on the verge of retirement due to a lump on his spinal cord that could lead to paralysis if he continues to play. KSHB NBC TV in Kansas City is reporting that Holmes has "very possibly" played his final game in a Chiefs uniform and could announce his retirement from the NFL as soon as Thursday. The team has not confirmed the local report, and as of Tuesday, head coach D*** Vermeil claimed he was uncertain about Holmes' status.

"I don't have any information and sometimes I get upset that I don't have more information," Vermeil said in Tuesday's press conference. "But the information and communication system is in the right hands: Dr. Browne, our medical staff and our trainers, and the people he is consulting with."

The injury may or may not be directly related to the mild head trauma he suffered in a violent collision with Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman in week eight. Holmes visited a spine specialist in California last week before missing last Sunday's game against the Raiders. Early this week he sought a third opinion in Miami. Holmes also sustained a neck injury in week two that did not cause him to miss time but may be related.

The 32-year-old running back has been unable to finish two of the last three seasons due to injury. Last year, a sprained knee cost him eight games, and in 2002, a hip injury that required surgery cost him the final two contests. He has undergone three knee surgeries in his playing career.

Holmes has arguably been fantasy football's most productive player over the last four seasons and was the consensus top overall fantasy draft pick in 2003 and 2004. He set two single-season NFL scoring records—one for total touchdowns and one for rushing touchdowns—with 27 scores in the 2003 season. Even as injuries mounted, he has continued to cross the stripe at an unprecedented level. In his last 45 games, he has recorded an astounding 73 touchdowns.

This is not the first time we've heard of Priest Holmes and retirement. After Ricky Williams walked out of the Dolphins locker room prior to the 2004-2005 seasons, Holmes admitted publicly that he too had considered retirement in the past and was not opposed to walking away from the game early. With an injury as serious as this reportedly is, Priest's decision may be an easy one.

Holmes' possible retirement would leave the Chiefs starting running back job to three-year veteran Larry Johnson, a former first-round draft pick. In his first start of the season last Sunday against Oakland, Johnson rushed for 107 yards, collected 48 receiving yards, and scored two rushing touchdowns—including the game-winning one-yard plunge on the final play of the game. This production came as no surprise to veteran fantasy owners who watched Johnson dominate late last season while Holmes was on injured reserve with a knee injury. In the final five games of the season, Johnson averaged over 138 total yards and two touchdowns per game.

"[Johnson's] been very impressive," Vermeil said on Tuesday. "We haven't had Willie Roaf or other things that make those numbers even more impressive, but he's been very impressive. He's made some long runs, he's made 60-yard runs on screens and, to me, he was Priest Holmes."

Priest Holmes without the injuries? That sounds suspiciously like a top-five fantasy running back, and it's hard to argue that Johnson wouldn't be exactly that for the rest of the season. Even while getting just one of every three series, L.J. has more touchdowns than Willis McGahee, more yards than Holmes and Corey Dillon, and a per-carry average that ranks fifth in the NFL. He also may be launching his career as a starting back against two defenses—the Bills and the Texans—that statistically rank dead last in the NFL against the run.

It's also worth nothing that the Chiefs passing game kicked into high gear when Holmes when down last season. Priest sustained the injury early in week nine, at which point tight end Tony Gonzalez went on to record four 100-yard games and wide receiver Eddie Kennison scored all eight of his touchdowns. Trent Green also tossed six 300-yard games in nine outings.

At the risk of reducing Vermeil to a weeping mess, we'll conclude by wishing Holmes well. Although fantasy owners around the world would lament his sudden departure (to put it kindly), we'd much prefer to watch him walk away from the game rather than what could have been a tragic alternative. Needless to say, it's an absolute injustice to see Holmes potentially robbed of his career just days after Terrell Owens' idiocy only temporarily curbed his.