Prior to the season, Reggie Bush wanted one more shot at the league, saying on NFL Network he still felt like he had "a lot left to give" on the football field.
On Friday, the former New Orleans Saints first-round pick announced that dream is officially over.
Bush, in speaking with Dan Hellie and Maurice Jones-Drew on NFL Total Access, said his career has come to an end, despite him feeling like he could "still play right now at a high level."
"I'm done," Bush said. "Yeah, I'm done. I said it. It's not breaking news. I've been saying it. I said it all season long, I said, 'Listen, if I don't play this year, I'm going to retire.' Because I'm not going to spend a whole year off, come back, 33 years old, trying to get back in the league. Listen, once you get to a certain age as a running back, they just start to slowly weed you out."
Bush's announcement was, as he said, not breaking news. The tailback hasn't played a down in the NFL since last season, when he finished the season with minus-3 rushing yards on 12 carries for the Buffalo Bills. The former USC great hasn't been truly effective for a full season since 2013, the last year he rushed for more than 1,000 yards (1,006 with the Detroit Lions).
Bush, though, was once one of the most exciting players in the league. He was the perfect scatback in Sean Payton's offense in New Orleans for five seasons, catching 47 or more passes from 2006 to 2009.
While the tailback, who's set to turn 33 in March, said he'd listen to playoff contenders if they wanted him to carry the ball for them this postseason, he admitted that's a long shot. His career is over.
"Listen, the Saints know I'm coming home at some point," Bush said. "I'm going to come home to retire as a Saint. But yeah, man, I'm done. For sure. I'm done."
