There is arguably no more delicate topic for a pro athlete than the matter of when it's time to call it a career. You don't get to the rarefied air of pro sports, much less excel there, by giving up at the first sign of adversity. But there have been countless star athletes, from Babe to Brady, who have stayed longer than they should have.Here are 10 who saw their legacies take a slight hit by not retiring sooner.
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1/10
There's no doubting Albert Pujols is an all-time great. But it has been tough to watch his play decline over the last few seasons in Anaheim. His on-base percentage now looks like his batting average once did (in a down year). You can't knock his decision to hang on and collect a significant payday while adding to his counting stats. That said, his career now falls below the Mays-Aaron line. Not a bad place to be. But the potential existed for Pujols to have been in their company.
2/10
Much like Pujols, no number of additional seasons beyond his prime was going to make Emmitt Smith less than an all-time great. Smith is the NFL's all-time leading rusher.
Given the change in offensive style and the volatile nature of the position, it's looking more and more likely that Smith's record will stand for the foreseeable future.
But there will always be those last two seasons on the Cardinals when he struggled to average even 50 yards per game. More notably, Smith's legacy is tied to being one of Dallas' "Triplets." Michael Irvin retired having only played for the Cowboys. The same is true of Troy Aikman. But Smith spent pre-retirement in the desert. And that's the only knock on his hall of fame career.
3/10
The long-time nemesis of Philadelphia sports fans, Martin Brodeur was the one player that separated the Devils from the Flyers from the mid-1990s through the early-2010s. The NHL's all-time record holder for wins by a goaltender, Brodeur is on the short list of greatest goalies ever along with the likes of Jacques Plante and Patrick Roy.
Unlike all of the other netminders in that elite company, Brodeur had a chance to be the only one to play his entire career with one franchise. But at age 42, he ended his symphony of a career with an off-pitch note, appearing in just seven games for the St. Louis Blues before retiring mid-season.
4/10
In his prime, Moses Malone was a center on par with all of the greats of his time. In the 1983 NBA Finals that featured fellow Hall of Famers Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Julius Erving, Maurice Cheeks and Bobby Jones, it was Malone leading all scorers in three games and rebounding in all four games of the Sixers' sweep.
But Malone's final three seasons (1992-95) saw him become a journeyman, bouncing from Milwaukee back to Philadelphia and finally to San Antonio. He failed to average more than 6.0 points or 5.0 rebounds in any of those seasons. Those years also coincided with a large boost in the league's popularity. So, unfortunately, a large swath of basketball fans remember Malone only as a plodding role player rather than as a one-of-a-kind menace in the paint.
5/10
This one takes a bit of projection admittedly as Tom Brady's career isn't over yet and he made the playoffs last season. He should do so again this year.
No matter what happens before he retires, Brady will have a strong argument as the greatest quarterback ever. His six Super Bowl championships at the position are unlikely to be surpassed.
But this stint in Tampa Bay has already provided the moment where he lost track of downs in Chicago. And it might just give compelling evidence to those that believe Bill Belichick's presence proved most pivotal in the Patriots' dynasty.
6/10
Few hockey players have generated the emotion — positive and negative — that Eric Lindros did before, during and after his NHL career.
He lifted the Flyers back into relevance. But his tenure ended in frustration and damaged feelings on both sides. Following his trade to the Rangers, the "Big E" had one more elite season.
His final four campaigns were defined by injuries and pedestrian production, meaning nearly a third of his career ended up falling well below the elite standard he had set.
7/10
Allen Iverson was a supernova. At less than 6-feet and 165 pounds, the odds were always stacked against Iverson holding up for a two-decade career. At his apex, A.I. was the most unique athlete in NBA history. An incandescent blur of quickness and toughness.
But like all supernovas, he burnt out quickly. After being traded by the Sixers in the 2006-07 season, Iverson had minimal impact during forgettable stints with the Nuggets, Pistons, Grizzlies and Sixers again. He even attempted to give it a go in Turkey but never ended up playing a game.
8/10
One of baseball's all-time characters, Rickey Henderson also happens to be the greatest leadoff hitter ever.
Playing until the age of 44, Henderson's longevity helped him become the all-time leader in runs scored. He's also the all-time leader in stolen bases.
But his final seven MLB seasons were rather forgettable. His averages for those final seven seasons were a .247 batting average with 8 HR and 32 RBI.
Henderson's entire career should be celebrated. But one could argue that he became a bit of a punchline by hanging on too long.
9/10
In his first seven seasons, Ryan Howard was arguably baseball's most feared slugger. "The Big Piece" was on a track headed towards Cooperstown.
Then came the torn Achilles on the final at-bat of the Phillies' 2011 postseason. Howard was never the same in his following seasons, all of which were part of a nine-figure contract extension he had signed prior to the injury. Just like any of us would have, Howard played out the contract. Once seemingly destined for the Hall of Fame, Howard was booed at times during the end of his tenure.
His late-career presence served as an unfortunate reminder of a bygone era of the dominance his arrival sparked. That said, his power output from 2005-11 is rivaled by very few in the history of the sport.
10/10
Jerry Rice is arguably the greatest non-quarterback in NFL history. The record books look like a busy mail day because his name is everywhere.
A player of that quality should not be the fourth receiver option behind the likes of Koren Robinson, which is exactly how Rice finished his career in Seattle.