3 NFL stars whose careers are coming to an end
Nothing can prepare you for the end, but some of the NFL's top stars are nearing the end of their playing careers, and the opportunities to witness them in action are dwindling.
Here are three NFL stars whose careers are coming to an end.
Peyton Manning
Manning may be guiding a 7-2 team, and he may have just broken Brett Favre's all-time passing yardage record, but it's been clear that Father Time caught up with him around the midway point of last season.
On the back of an elite defense, Peyton has a chance to make a run at that elusive second Super Bowl ring. But getting benched in favor of Brock Osweiler isn't helping his legacy, nor will missing a potential final meeting with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots due to a plantar fascia injury.
Peyton's understanding of offenses is second to none, and his ability to come back from a career-threatening neck injury and enjoy one last hurrah in Denver should be admired. In today's age of over-coached players, there'll never be another signal-caller able to orchestrate an offense like No. 18.
Andre Johnson
Few truly great wide receivers have received as little fanfare as Johnson. His career was short on elaborate touchdown celebrations and media rants, but big on production.
Despite mostly sub-par quarterback play, Johnson didn't take long to establish himself as one of the league's elite receiving talents. He's the only player in league history to catch at least 60 passes in each of his first eight seasons, and the only player to post four seasons with both 100-plus receptions and 1,400-plus receiving yards.
It was fun to watch Johnson score a pair of touchdowns in his return to Houston, but overall, the move to Indianapolis hasn't been kind to him. Barring injury, Johnson will climb to ninth on the all-time receiving yardage list by season's end, but big stat lines like we're used to seeing from him are going to be few and far between moving forward.
Charles Woodson
Woodson's done his best not to show any signs of aging. The move from corner to safety breathed new life into his career. He recorded a career-high 113 tackles in 2014 - his 17th pro season. This season, his five interceptions through seven games led the league.
But at 39 years of age, Woodson is the league's oldest defensive player, and he'll only be able to fight off Father Time so much longer.
One of the most accomplished players ever to buckle a chinstrap, Woodson's football resume includes a national championship, a Heisman trophy, a Super Bowl, a Defensive Player of the Year award, and eight Pro Bowls nods.