Thursday, April 4, 2013 Lions' Jason Hanson retires By Kevin Seifert ESPN.com
Detroit Lions place-kicker Jason Hanson retired Thursday after after 21 seasons.
Hanson, 42, retires having played more games with one team -- 327 -- than any other player in NFL history.
Hanson had expressed interest in returning to the Lions in 2013 but negotiations have been stalled amid reports the team hadn't offered him a deal higher than the NFL's veteran minimum.
Hanson told the team's website that a heel injury that first developed during the 2012 season and lingered into the offseason helped him to make his decision. He said he had the desire to play in 2013 but the injury was "still an issue."
"It was time to make a decision," Hanson said, according to the team's website. "It was the right time to step away."
"Each time I'd start to push , I'd kind of short-circuit. I realized that at this point of my career, I don't want to perform in a compromised way. It's not good for the team," he said. "I lost a little of my desire to play injured." ________________________________________________________
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