Broncos guard John Moffitt retires at age 27: 'It's madness to risk your body'

Broncos guard John Moffitt (center) said he's looking forward to producing podcasts and spending time with family. (John Leyba/Getty Images) Denver Broncos

Broncos guard John Moffitt (center) said he's looking forward to producing podcasts and spending time with family. (John Leyba/Getty Images)

Denver Broncos offensive guard John Moffitt called team officials this week to notify them that he's not coming back and is retiring from the league altogether because he's not happy and doesn't want to continue risking his body.

The third-year guard out of Wisconsin called the team from his home in Seattle and said he's not planning on returning to the organization when the Broncos come back from their bye week to play the Chargers in San Diego on Nov. 10, according to the Associated Press. 

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Moffitt told the AP that he knows everyone thinks he's crazy, but he now thinks that playing in the NFL is crazy. The 27-year-old said he doesn't care about the Super Bowl anymore and that the experience of playing in the NFL has been enough, adding that he doesn't need to be a millionaire:

"I just really thought about it and decided I'm not happy. I'm not happy at all. And I think it's really madness to risk your body, risk your well-being and risk your happiness for money. Everybody, they just don't get it and they think it's crazy. But I think what I was doing is crazy...I don't care about the Super Bowl. I don't. I used to. I mean, anytime I played this game, I gave my heart to it and I'm a person that does things with his heart...I don't need the Super Bowl experience. I played in great stadiums and I played against great players. And I had that experience and it's enough... How much do you really need? What do you want in life? And I decided that I don't really need to be a millionaire."

Before taxes, he made approximately $1.8 million in his 2.5 years in the NFL. He was selected 75th overall by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2011 draft and signed a four-year deal worth nearly $3 million. This past August, he was set to be traded to the Cleveland Browns, but according to Jeff Schudel of The Morning Journal, Moffitt failed his physical and the trade was rescinded. That same month, the Seahawks ended up trading him to the Broncos for defensive tackle Sealver Siliga. By announcing his retirement, Moffitt leaves more than $1 million on the table; approximately $312,500 of it is for the rest of this current season and another $752,000 would have come from his non-guaranteed salary in 2014.

He told the AP that his world views have changed significantly over the past few years after reading literature from the Dalai Lama and Noam Chomsky. Looking ahead to his post-NFL career, he said he's excited to spend time with his girlfriend and his family, including his 5-year-old daughter. He also wants to produce live radio shows and podcasts and go on a diet now that he doesn't have to maintain a body weight of approximately 319 pounds. 

The Broncos had put Moffitt on their reserve/left team list on Tuesday and now have five days to formally release him.

"I just want to be happy. And I find that people that have the least in life are sometimes the happiest. And I don't have the least in life. I have enough in life. And I won't sacrifice my health for that."

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