Rashard Mendenhall calls it quits

[Moonie]

The Steelers made him soft and weak? How did they do that?

There are soft injuries, and then there are real injuries. Mendenhall's rookie season was terminated by a real injury. Someone busted his collarbone - he wasn't pulling a Woodley. Nothing he could do, and no one has proved to me he had some genetic pre-disposition to collarbone fractures that made him a bad draft pick.

His next year, which was effectively his rookie season, was a great one. So were the next two, despite Tomlin on his ass about "details" and whatever. He was productive back, as good as Bell is ever going to be for us.

Then he tears his ACL. Again, there are real injuries, and there are soft injuries. An ACL is real, it happens to the toughest guys in the NFL. So Mendenhall comes back from that, but then we get the Steeler idiocy of two years ago. I challenge anyone to defend the poor decisions made by Steelers with Redman, Dwyer and Mendenhall two years ago. Mendenhall lost his starting position to the latter clowns for no good reason, got unfairly benched over a fumble, actually made to attend a game in street clothes while Redman and Dwyer (neither of who should even have been in NFL) played. And this Tweet thing probably played in too. We had a quality back, and the Steelers blew it. That's my opinion, and its more than defensible.

[snarky]

Sounds like a smart guy. If he sees guys that are five, ten or twenty years out of the game and he doesn't want to end up with the health issues that they have, then he is smart for having the foresight to get out. If his heart is somewhere else he is smart to get out. And if he doesn't like the nature of the game he is smart to get out.

Sounds like all three of these are in play.

[steelz09]

I loved the Mendehall pick at the time but he definitely did not live up to expectations.

I hope he saved his money.

[Sugar]

Sounds like a smart guy. If he sees guys that are five, ten or twenty years out of the game and he doesn't want to end up with the health issues that they have, then he is smart for having the foresight to get out. If his heart is somewhere else he is smart to get out. And if he doesn't like the nature of the game he is smart to get out.

Sounds like all three of these are in play.

I'm thinking the same. Good for him if he just doesn't have that fire anymore. How many of us still have the desire to do the thing we did when we were 12? He's had the experience of being a top draft pick, played in a Super Bowl and had a few 1000 yard seasons. If he's as intelligent as it appears, I'm sure he'll be fine going forward.

[Slapstick]

There are soft injuries, and then there are real injuries. Mendenhall's rookie season was terminated by a real injury. Someone busted his collarbone - he wasn't pulling a Woodley. Nothing he could do, and no one has proved to me he had some genetic pre-disposition to collarbone fractures that made him a bad draft pick.

His next year, which was effectively his rookie season, was a great one. So were the next two, despite Tomlin on his ass about "details" and whatever. He was productive back, as good as Bell is ever going to be for us.

Then he tears his ACL. Again, there are real injuries, and there are soft injuries. An ACL is real, it happens to the toughest guys in the NFL. So Mendenhall comes back from that, but then we get the Steeler idiocy of two years ago. I challenge anyone to defend the poor decisions made by Steelers with Redman, Dwyer and Mendenhall two years ago. Mendenhall lost his starting position to the latter clowns for no good reason, got unfairly benched over a fumble, actually made to attend a game in street clothes while Redman and Dwyer (neither of who should even have been in NFL) played. And this Tweet thing probably played in too. We had a quality back, and the Steelers blew it. That's my opinion, and its more than defensible.

Mendenhall was benched for two consecutive fumbles...

He made his bed in Pittsburgh...

[squidkid]

maybe hes just tired of being a slave and wants to spend more time supporting bin laden

[feltdizz]

maybe hes just tired of being a slave and wants to spend more time supporting bin laden

I think he was tired of fans like you...

He sounds like he is in a good place. Nothing wrong with moving on from football with his health and wealth intact.

[Sugar]

I think he was tired of fans like you...

He sounds like he is in a good place. Nothing wrong with moving on from football with his health and wealth intact.

Have you seen what it takes for Bettis to simply get out of bed in the morning? RM is doing best if he can move on to something he likes better.

[sick beats]

"Having to fight through waves and currents of praise and criticism, but mostly hate. I can't even count how many times I've been called a 'dumb nigger'. There is a bold coarseness you receive from non-supporters that seems to only exist on the Internet. However, even if you try to avoid these things completely -- because I've tried -- somehow they still reach you."

Sounds like he is just fed up with what the game has become...

Once again showing signs of being a p-ssy. So what? There are racists, bigots, etc. out there. Too thin skinned.

[sick beats]

Good on him. If his heart isn't in it, at least he's not sucking the life out of a dressing room because of a bad attitude.

He was pilloried for a view point that went against the masses.

And the result was everyone forgot that he actually was successful in his time here, despite common belief.

Maybe marginally, but not for a back taken in the first half of the first round. He had one season where he averaged more than 4.1 yards a carry (4.6) - the rest of his career he was below 4 ypc. That's nothing to brag about.

[url]http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/11257/rashard-mendenhall[/url]

[flippy]

Good for him. Most players never beat the system, but it looks like Mendy did. Too bad we drafted him and wasted that first round pick.

[feltdizz]

Maybe marginally, but not for a back taken in the first half of the first round. He had one season where he averaged more than 4.1 yards a carry (4.6) - the rest of his career he was below 4 ypc. That's nothing to brag about.

[URL]http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/11257/rashard-mendenhall[/URL]

look at the OL he had to work with?

[Chadman]

Where does he sit on the "all time Steelers RB list"?

Not a bad accomplishment for a crap RB.

His biggest problem was that he didn't play like Jerome Bettis. If we'd grown up with Ricky Watters as our RB #1, we'd have all love Mendy.

The hate he got for his tweets was pathetic. Heaven forbid someone doesn't agree with the masses.

[DukieBoy]

Rashard wants to be more like Flippy.

Seriously, wishing him well, and support what is a well thought out decision on his part.

That was a compliment, Flip.

[DukieBoy]

Where does he sit on the "all time Steelers RB list"?

Not a bad accomplishment for a crap RB.

His biggest problem was that he didn't play like Jerome Bettis. If we'd grown up with Ricky Watters as our RB #1, we'd have all love Mendy.

The hate he got for his tweets was pathetic. Heaven forbid someone doesn't agree with the masses.

Agreed Chadman.