Bears Blitz

Published by Alec Nathan on June 8, 2016
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears offensive lineman Manny Ramirez retired Wednesday, according to the team’s official Twitter account.

Ramirez spoke about his decision, via the Bears’ official website:

When it’s time, it’s time. You can’t really push it anymore when your body tells you that you can’t do what’s required at this level. That’s one thing that I’ve always told myself throughout my entire career, that when the body starts not being able to produce like it’s supposed to, you really can’t do anything about it.

Ramirez signed a one-year deal with the club in late March after spending four years with the Detroit Lions and four years with the Denver Broncos. 

A fourth-round pick of the Lions in the 2007 draft, Ramirez largely rode the bench during his first two seasons in the Motor City before starting 12 games in 2009. 

However, Detroit cut Ramirez shortly after the 2010 season, and he didn’t find work again until the Broncos gave him a shot in 2011. 

“It was hard because it put everything in perspective,” he said in 2014, per USA Today‘s Lindsay H. Jones. “Am I really capable of playing at this level? You start thinking of other options you might have to take as far as providing for your family. At the same time, I was like, if God is giving me another opportunity to play, I’m going to take full advantage of it.”

Ramirez was seldom used throughout the 2011 campaign, but he started 11 games at right guard in 2012 before becoming the Broncos’ full-time starting center during the team’s AFC title run in 2013. 

A versatile presence and respected leader in the locker room, Ramirez made his way back to Detroit in a draft-day trade prior to the 2015 season. There, a team that needed some stronger veteran voices welcomed him with open arms. 

“You can just tell from a leadership standpoint, I mean, he’s tremendous,” Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said last May, per Sean Yuille of SB Nation’s Pride of Detroit. “Real solid guy, just a person that’s well-rounded, has a good sense of what being a real pro is, and I think you’ll see some of that wear off on some of our younger guys.”

Ramirez played in all 16 games over the course of his final season, but he only made seven starts after getting benched in favor of the team’s younger linemen. 

Stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com. 

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