Official Statement from #24 @allenlinton2

This isn’t how I pictured retiring from Madden play.

But in my 15th Madden season, I have been doing what my body has been programmed to do: Get ready to play on game day. I’ve endured multiple callouses and played through many different injuries throughout my career and, over the last few weeks, this was the latest physical challenge.

But today on the couch, reality hit me fast and hard: I shouldn’t be in there anymore.

I meant no disrespect to my teammates and friends. But I hold myself to a standard. Physically, I always expect myself to play at a high level. But mentally, I know today that isn’t possible, and I had an honest moment with myself. While I was calling another hot route at the line of scrimmage, I just didn’t feel right, and I told no one in particular, ‘I’m not feeling like myself.’

I also wondered: Do I want to keep sacrificing?

And truthfully, I do not because the career mode is long, and it’s more important for me and my family to save $59.99 healthily than to willfully embrace the warrior mentality and hit stick away too late.

This was an overwhelming decision, but I’m at peace with myself and my family. I choose to be grateful to EA for allowing me to play in the game that I have loved as a boy until I turned 29 years old. I choose to be grateful to Xbox Live Gold for being a part of the NFL and making lifelong friends over the last decade. There were roadblocks and pitfalls along the way, but I am grateful to EA servers for all of it because 5 minute clocks and lagging don’t promise any of us an easy journey.

Lastly, I am grateful to Microsoft/Xbox for what they have in store for me ahead, in this next chapter of my gaming life.