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2016-2017 Offseason: DeMarcus Ware Announces His
Retirement
- January 12, 2017 At 11:53 PM CST
By Eric M. Scharf
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- DeMarcus Ware announced today that
he was retiring as a career-long warrior who (notwithstanding
inevitable Ware, err, wear and tear) brought it on
every single play with all cylinders firing.
For “The Tortured Cowboys Fan,” it is a very necessary and timely
distraction (from Dallas Cowboys star running back Ezekiel
Elliott who – for off-the-field news related to booze – is
developing a concerning attraction). During a St. Patrick’s Day
parade, he decided (doubtlessly under the influence of an alcoholic
beverage) to expose a woman’s breast. While Zeke seems inconceivably intent on damaging
his growing fan-favorite leverage, he may (like so, sooo many a
human who fail to tune in) not be such a forward thinker at best.
Members of professional sports organizations – from the owner to the
third string roster-warming loner – know there is really nowhere
(especially nowadays) you can go without your actions being
photographed or recorded by family, friend, or foe. The NFL’s annual rookie
symposium – which is now being handled by each team for their own
drafted players – was designed specifically to help the league’s
understandably overwhelmed rookie representatives have some
(albeit imperfect) semblance of a social presence prayer.
One player about whom “America’s Team” never, ever had to worry was
DeMarcus Ware. He was – and remains – the very picture of
professionalism (working as hard off the field as he did on it
to avoid even the hint of a schism).
DeMarcus Ware represents the longest-lasting legacy of the Dallas
Cowboys’ incredible 2005 NFL draft that included Marcus Spears,
Chris Canty, Marion Barber, and Jay Ratliff. Ware kept going long
after most of his former teammates and friends went over the
growing-injury-and-retirement cliff.
A four-time first team and three-time second team All-Pro who rarely
allowed quarterbacks anywhere safe to go. A nine-time Pro Bowl
selection (with three other years where the impact of injuries was
the only valid reason for rejection). A two-time NFL sack leader (on
a defensive line that was far too often a sack bleeder). A two-time
winner of the Butkus Award (just adding reasons to be adored). A
member of the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team (reinforcing his
generational talent theme). A proud Super Bowl champion. A Pro Football
Hall Of Fame induction that is most-assuredly happenin'.
Bill “The Big Tuna” Parcells – one of the greatest and most
influential head coaches in NFL history and DeMarcus’s very first
grid iron boss – very nearly (back on draft day 2005) had
Cowboys Nation at a traumatic loss.
Parcells had designs on linebacker Shawne "Lights Out" Merriman. He was pushing hard
on GM Jerry and son Stephen to alter the agreed-upon draft day plan. After
the Jones’ engaged in some last minute “risk management” to assuage
Bill’s concern, the Cowboys were able to select the right guy when
it was their turn.
Watching Ware operate (in his prime) from the edge of the Cowboys’ defensive line from
the “Elephant / Leo / Buck” position – as with Charles Haley years
before him – was like watching a
hungry cheetah cornering hard to give its next meal
a trim.
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- Beyond Big Bill’s eventual bow out, DeMarcus continued to remain
stout. The Tortured Cowboys Fan still – however – laments the
bookend pass-rushing hole the Cowboys were never truly able to fill.
Exceptional was Ware (even in the absence of a reliable
rotation that could have helped him cause an even greater scare).
See below – the collective imagery from several editions ago – for a
refresher on the accomplishments of Ware (even when the rest of
the defense was rarely-to-never completely there).
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- DeMarcus also represents “the
(latest) one that got away” for Jerry Jones. The first one, of
course,
being beloved former Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson (a mistake of
which Jerry – decades later – is relentlessly reminded and which he begrudgingly owns).
Cowboys Nation – well, those members with a less myopic bent – would eventually
relent and give credit where it was due. GM Jerry and Co. did, indeed,
have a clue, doing all they could before and after carefully
confirming with the team medical staff – before approaching
dearest DeMarcus about cutting his remaining salary in half – and
even less, to really confess.
DeMarcus had been a game day soldier his entire career (which
eventually included some well-earned championship time with the
Denver Broncos). A troublesome uptick in nagging injuries seemingly
made him a little too worse for Ware, leaving the Cowboys fearfully
awaiting THE big pop, strain, or tear. When revisiting the skill + cap hit
versus
production equation, most reasonably-educated members of Cowboys
Nation know how that often-one-sided discussion goes.
What had been a growing series of slowly searing stingers – over a
few years – was beginning to resemble taking a top MLB pitcher and
asking him to throw with broken fingers. A manageable shoulder
injury forced DeMarcus to adopt a “Darth Vader” arm brace (since
normalized by fellow dominant defender J.J. Watt) in order to work through the pain and
remain the Cowboys’ edge-rushing ace.
One of the most potentially-devastating injuries of Ware’s NFL
career came in the fourth quarter of a home game against the (then)
San Diego Chargers on December 13, 2009. It was (selfishly) poor
timing for everyone else with so much on the line.
Ware was careening around the corner on a pass play – a move he
could make (with his eyes shut) all day – but he jammed his head into an offensive
lineman's hip (leaving the entire Cowboys organization and fans
everywhere wondering if Ware had suffered a fatal slip). While he was
moving and could feel his extremities, for the rest of the game
he had to yield, as there were no available remedies to prevent him
from being carted off the field. After a hospital
stay, DeMarcus felt magically healed and – against the undefeated
New Orleans Saints the following week – declared himself ready to
play, performing as if at his physical peak. For Cowboys fans
everywhere, it was a Willis Reed moment with Ware playing like
he just did not care (about further physical impairment) and – with
sensational success against the Saints – ensuring maximum enjoyment.
Though the Warewolf would (incredibly) miss a grand total of no more
than THREE games during his tour of defensive duty with the team
that originally drafted him, the playing time gaps (between
sustained productivity and the next flare-up of his increasingly
restrictive shoulder injury) had become too slim.
DeMarcus was still owed quite a bit of money and – far from funny –
the Cowboys’ post-2013 salary cap situation required more than the
usual restructure medication. Ware and GM Jerry could not agree upon a
cap figure far less fantastic, and the result (even to prognosticators
and discerning fans so realistic) was no less drastic.
The Denver Broncos swooped in – almost as if on ANOTHER aging warrior
dare – and to a handsome short-term deal they successfully signed Ware. Before
injuries officially took their final toll, the Broncos enjoyed the
steal of a deal, and DeMarcus finally won that elusive Super Bowl.
While there is hope among the Cowboys' faithful that DeMarcus will sign a
one-day contract to officially retire with Dallas, let there be
no doubt that Ware is the ONLY (current or former) Cowboys player –
since 1996 if memory serves before the onset of age-related swerves
– who has both reached the big game AND brought home the championship chalice.
Ware will forever remain a dynamic player and destined man in the
eyes of The Tortured Cowboys Fan. It is merely a matter of time
before his eventual entrance into the Dallas Cowboys’ Ring of Honor.
When his first ballot opportunity at enshrinement into the Pro
Football Hall of Fame arrives five years from now, will he be
diabolically-debated or will the Selection Committee wisely say:
"Why bother?! Fit DeMarcus for his gold jacket AND HOW?"
We shall see. We always do.
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