Earlier this month the Denver Broncos won Super Bowl 50 against the Carolina Panthers. It is now expected this week for the Broncos’ quarterback, Peyton Manning, to retire. Manning is not the only player retiring this offseason, as Marshawn Lynch, Calvin Johnson, and Charles Woodson are also big names calling it quits. This is sad for fans to see some of their favorite players move on from football, but it is also exciting because no one knows what the future holds for the young players of the NFL.

These four players have truly had a lasting effect on the game of football. Now that their careers are over, it is an appropriate time to look back and enjoy what they have accomplished. Manning, for example, has one of the most successful careers ever as a quarterback. He holds multiple NFL records such as career passing yards, touchdowns, and wins. For the most part, Manning has maintained a high level of play throughout his career. This past season was not his most impressive but it still ended in a Super Bowl victory. Manning has showed us in his career that anyone can overcome the odds and be successful.

Marshawn Lynch has been one of the most notorious players in the NFL for the past few years. A lot of his stardom began back in 2010 when he completed a 67-yard run against Saints, breaking nine tackles and scoring a touchdown. Lynch is known as “Beastmode” on the field but is also very well known as a spectacle off the field. He created a reputation for himself that makes him look like he really does not care about anything. During a press conference for the Super Bowl in 2015, Lynch was asked a series of questions and he responded to all of these with the statement, “You know why I’m here.” For NFL fans, some thought it was hilarious and other thought it was rude.

To me, I thought it was pretty funny. Another time Lynch shows his careless about things going on around him, goes back to his college days. Lynch was celebrating after a victory and stole a golf cart to celebrate. Lynch has been a careless but impressive player throughout his career and not seeing him in the headlines doing crazy things will truly be missed.

Calvin Johnson and Charles Woodson have both accomplished quite a bit in their careers. Calvin Johnson, known as “Megatron”, has had an outstanding career in the NFL. His height allows him to get up higher than most cornerbacks and receive balls. He has always known how to use his body to his an advantage on the field. Unfortunately for Johnson, he never had much team success with the Detroit Lions.

Charles Woodson has had a different career from Johnson. He had the most amount of team success you can have by winning a super bowl. Woodson won his Super Bowl with the Packers in 2011. He has been known as a ball hawk throughout his career pulling down over 60 interceptions. Woodson’s absence on the field will be missed by Oakland Raiders, who he last played for, but quarterbacks around the league rejoice that they do not have to face him any longer.

With these four players leaving the NFL, there is only one question left. Who will step up next and leave a legacy of their own. That is what sports is all about. Underdogs coming out of no where and pulling off the impossible, breaking records and winning championships. I am excited as these players move forward in their life and the NFL brings in new players. Who knows what the future holds.

This writer can be reached via Twitter: @Phillip11499 and via email: Phillip Christopher

To read last week’s World of Sports, read World of Sports: College basketball heats up for March Madness