clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Manny Ramirez retires from Bears after 8 seasons in the NFL

Veteran center Manny Ramirez, who had previously played for Coach John Fox in Denver, retired Wednesday at Halas Hall in Chicago. Ramirez told the team his body was not up to the challenge of NFL level competition any more.

By Ken Mitchell
Kena Krutsinger/Getty Images

Manny Ramirez has retired from The Chicago Bears after 8 seasons in the NFL, according to the Chicago Bears team website. Ramirez turns 33 during this year's season, and has played both for the Detroit Lions and the Denver Broncos.

Bears link with bio: Mayer: Ramirez retires after eight seasons

"When it's time, it's time," Ramirez told ChicagoBears.com in the above linked article. "You can't really push it anymore when your body tells you that you can't do what's required at this level. That's one thing that I've always told myself throughout my entire career, that when the body starts not being able to produce like it's supposed to, you really can't do anything about it."

Ramirez was expected to compete with second year center Hroniss Grasu, who remains the only true center on the Bears roster.

The retirement marks significant change in thinking for Ramirez, who in an article published June 7 in the Chicago Sun-Times talked about both striving for a starting roll for Chicago this season and mentoring Grasu. LINK: Finley: Bears' Ramirez mentoring, still wants to start - Chicago Sun-Times

The retirement leaves a spot open in the 2016 90-man off-season roster.

Next Up In News