Al Wilson, a first-round draft pick and five-time Pro Bowl linebacker for the Broncos, retired from the NFL on Wednesday.
Wilson, 31, was a popular player for the Broncos’ defense from 1999-2006. He suffered a neck injury during a nationally-televised game against Seattle in December 2006 and was carted off the field. He then missed the 2007 season after being released by the Broncos.
After being released, Wilson said there were no hard feelings and took out a full-page advertisement in local newspapers to thank the fans.
“I miss being a Bronco. But I don’t miss the minicamps, training camps, none of that,” Wilson said in 2007.
The Cleveland Browns talked with Wilson about returning to the NFL in March, after he was cleared by doctors to resume playing. But talks fell through.
“I thank all my fans from my high school and college days in Tennessee on into my time in the NFL and Denver for their continued love and support throughout the years,” Wilson told . “I was truly blessed to play the game I love and I am forever grateful to those that believed and entrusted in me. Playing for my fans and my teammates made the game of football everything to me.”
Wilson and the Broncos were engaged in an NFL arbitration grievance hearing in March regarding the neck injury. Wilson’s grievance claimed the Broncos violated Article XLIV of the Collective Bargaining Agreement because he was not told by the team’s physician his neck injury “could be significantly aggravated by continued performance.”
Wilson was strapped to a backboard and carted off Invesco Field after the injury. He returned to play the next week at Arizona and played in two more games before he was held out of the team’s season finale.
The grievance is not yet settled.
