By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports Writer 16 minutes ago

MIAMI (AP)—Daunte Culpepper summed up his thoughts Thursday in two words, which ushered in the start of a new era for the former Pro Bowl quarterback.

“Farewell NFL,” he wrote.

With that, a career once filled with such promise came to a most unceremonious end.

Culpepper, who starred for the Minnesota Vikings before a major knee injury in 2005 curtailed his career, announced his retirement in an e-mail Thursday morning, saying he’s simply grown tired of fighting for one more opportunity.

The 31-year-old was the Vikings’ first-round draft choice in 1999, became their full-time starter a year later, and teamed with Randy Moss to pile up yards and touchdowns at an impressive rate.

But he hurt his right knee in October 2005, never played for the Vikings again, and never seemed to return to his past level, either.

“When free agency began this year, I had a new sense of excitement about continuing to rebuild my career in the same way that I had rebuilt my knee after my catastrophic injury in 2005,” Culpepper said. “Unfortunately, what I found out was that the league did not share any of the optimism about me as an unrestricted free agent that I expected. In fact, there was an overwhelming sense that there was no room for me among this year’s group of quarterbacks.”


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I can't believe he retired. He hasn't even been in the league 10 years, but hey. When a serious injury takes you out, it's like the person is never the same. I wish him well in his future endeavors.