Minnesota Vikings cornerback Terence Newman's time has come.
Newman, who was set to enter his 16th professional season, announced his retirement as a player and will join the Vikings coaching staff effective immediately.
While the Vikings won't provide specifics on Newman's role until a later time, Newman should be comfortable in whatever role coach Mike Zimmer has in store for him.
The two men know each other well when considering Newman spent nine of his 15 professional seasons playing for Zimmer.
Newman, who turns 40 on Sept. 4, entered the league in 2003 out of Kansas State as the fifth overall pick with the Dallas Cowboys, where he first played for Zimmer, then the Cowboys defensive coordinator. He later reunited with Zimmer with the Cincinnati Bengals for two seasons (2012-13) before joining the coach with the Vikings in 2015.
The 5-foot-10, 197-pound Newman, a two-time Pro Bowler, finishes his career with 42 interceptions, which would have ranked second among active players had Newman played another season. Newman caps off a remarkable professional run by appearing in 221 career games with 205 starts.
