Jaguars’ Brad Meester to retire after the season ends

After fourteen long years with the Jacksonville Jaguars, center Brad Meester is ready to call it quits on his NFL career after this season.

Every time a player has to make a choice whether to stop playing or continue, it’s always tough. Meester spoke with ESPN about his decision.

"“It’s something I seriously thought about for a long time,” Meester said. “It’s been a tough decision for me because this is something that I love doing. I’ve done this for a long time and I truly love doing this, but the more and more I thought about it, the more I know that it’s time and I’m looking forward to that next chapter in my life and being able to spend some time with my family.”"

There are many things that play a role in a player’s decision, and Meester was no exception. Meester loves the game of football and found it hard to call it quits on a long career, which includes being around with the Jags for every single coaching change.

"“I think sometimes if you do something for that long, it’s hard to say no to it,” Meester said. “I kept thinking maybe I should come back. Maybe I should try and do another one. I had talked to a bunch of people, and the option was there for me to come back and try to do this one more time if I wanted to. But the more and more I kept thinking about it, the more my family played into it.”"

Meester’s absence will be a hard one for the Jags, who will be losing a big presence in the locker-room; Meester was seen as a leader by everyone on the team.