NFL Buffalo Bills

Kyle Orton Made His Decision to Retire Long Before Monday’s Announcement

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Kyle Orton verses the Denver Broncos

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

When someone retires from any craft there is serious thought that goes into the choice, it’s never a snap decision. Whether you’re a butcher, coal miner or football player, anyone who makes this type of career transition has thoroughly mapped out their post-work life. That’s why Monday mornings’ news was not a surprise for Buffalo Bills’ fans. Kyle Orton has been retired for a while now; he just had a few games left on the schedule until he could make it official.

One common football maxim that goes around about players who began to ponder life after the game is “If you’re already thinking about retirement, then you’re more than likely already retired.” When word came out of Dallas this summer that Orton was threatening retirement over spending another year playing second-fiddle to Tony Romo, the football world had all the information it needed on where Kyle Orton’s head was in regards to his playing future.

This is not to say Orton doesn’t love the game or didn’t give his all, but giving your all when you’re a hotshot rookie, or stud in your prime is a different “all” then a journeyman at the tail-end of his career. One play that comes into mind that any Bills’ fan can play back in their minds is early in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos – a nearly must-win game – Orton, facing a third-and-one was chased out of the pocket and with the first down line within reach, slid and gave up the play with big Terrance Knighton en route to make the tackle.

I know nobody wants to take a crushing blow from a defensive lineman who goes by the nickname of pot-roast, but a guy that’s all-in risks life and limb in that situation, and a guy that knows he’s going home to be a father at the end of the year thinks twice. It’s clear now that Orton was the latter of the two, and for that can you blame him? In one sense you can be upset and argue that he’s just collecting a check, but on the other you can say he gave his all for what he could give, he just didn’t see the virtue in risking so much for a team that wasn’t going to win it all.

Orton was asked to do more than he probably bargained for. Lead a team with young talent at the skill position, no running game, and a shaky offensive line to the playoffs. When those factors are taken into account, I think he did a somewhat decent job with what he was given; he lead the Bills to a 9-7 record, their best finish since 2004.  My only hope is that Orton’s decision is a true reflection of his feelings and next year when somebody’s quarterback gets placed on IR he doesn’t come calling.

Leman Harris is an NFL writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @harrisleman.

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