Ray Lewis' NFL career was extended for at least one more week Sunday. However, another ageless linebacker could have played his final game.
On NFL Network
NFL Replay will re-air the
Seattle Seahawks' 24-14 win over the
Washington Redskins from Wild Card Weekend on Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 8 p.m. ET.
London Fletcher's season ended with the Washington Redskins' 24-14 wild-card loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The linebacker, who extended his consecutive games played streak to 241 on Sunday, addressed teammates in the locker room, some who wondered if Fletcher could be contemplating retirement.
"You could tell he was really sad, upset," fellow linebacker Lorenzo Alexander said, via The Washington Post. "We're real close, so it was real heartfelt for me, that this run that we had was kind of second to a Super Bowl win with what this team was able to do with him leading it. With that, is he coming back? Is he not?"
Fletcher, who remains under contract, has epitomized the phrase "coach on the field" in his 15 NFL seasons. Undrafted out of John Carroll University, he was a stalwart for the St. Louis Rams during their Super Bowl-winning 1999 season.
The third-oldest NFL player hasn't lost his ability to impact a game, leading the Redskins with 15 tackles in Sunday's loss.
"I'll take some time to let the emotions of the season kind of get away, refresh a little bit and then sit down with my family and make the decision from there as far as whether I'll continue to play or not," Fletcher said Sunday.
Whether or not he returns for the 2013 season or rides off into the sunset, there is no question Fletcher has earned the right to go out on his own terms.
Follow Kevin Patra on Twitter @kpatra.
