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PRO FOOTBALL; Vikings and Dolphins Are Interested, but Marino Decides to Retire.
By THOMAS GEORGE
Published: March 11, 2000
Dan Marino, the most productive quarterback in National Football League history, will announce his retirement on Monday after flirting with a chance to start for the Minnesota Vikings.
Marino, 38, who played the last 17 seasons, all of them for the Miami Dolphins, has told his friends, team management and Minnesota Coach Dennis Green that he has played his last game. Marino decided to retire rather than join the Vikings as their starter or remain in Miami as a backup.
Marino, who owns or has tied 30 N.F.L. passing records, said he based his decision on his health, his family (his wife, Claire, and five children ages 4 to 14), his trepidation over joining a team (Minnesota) that is making several changes and his disinterest in staying with a team (Miami) that only recently moved from noncommittal to lukewarm in its interest in him.
''Dan has had troubles with his legs and his knees over the years and risking injury in a new offense with a new line on turf in a new city was risking a lot,'' said one Dolphins official. ''I know his family was not excited about moving from Florida to Minnesota, so basically he would have been away from them for a year. Plus, Dan came in as a Dolphin and I know he would like to go out as one, regardless of any hurt feelings.''
Marino retires as the league's career leader in completions (4,967), passing yardage (61,361) and touchdown passes (420). In the 1984-85 season he set the single-season record in yards (5,084) and touchdown passes (48).
Despite all his achievement, the Dolphins entered last season uncertain if Marino could still produce. There was friction between Marino and his coach, Jimmy Johnson. Marino missed five games because of a bulging disk in his neck, which caused nerve damage to his throwing shoulder. His record was 2-5 after returning from that injury.
Miami reached the playoffs, won a dramatic game at Seattle and then lost at Jacksonville, 62-7.
Marino struggled mightily in that game and looked immobile and frazzled. For the first time in his career, Marino last season threw more interceptions (17) than touchdown passes (12).
The questions began immediately after that collapse: Is Marino's career over? Can he still play? Will he retire?
Johnson resigned after the season and Dave Wannstedt replaced him. Wannstedt hired the former Dallas coach Chan Gailey as Miami's new offensive coordinator.
Wannstedt and Gailey wanted new direction, without Marino and the $7.58 million he would cost the team's salary cap this year. Marino, thinking he might be cut, voided the final two years of his contract on Feb. 10 so he could become an unrestricted free agent. The Dolphins signed a free-agent quarterback, Jay Feidler, from Jacksonville.
Enter Minnesota and Green.
The Vikings offered the best deal, a starting job for the 2000 season, a one-year job of grooming Minnesota's quarterback of the future, Daunte Culpepper. They also appeared to be a team in transition, with Green having replaced several coaches during the off-season.
Minnesota also has a dramatically altered offensive line. Two Pro Bowl starters, Jeff Christy and Randall McDaniel, left the Vikings recently and signed with Tampa Bay.
Miami jumped in after Minnesota's offer. The Dolphins said they wanted Marino to stay, but only as the likely backup.
So, those were Marino's three choices: Go to Minnesota in a risky move; stay in Miami for a troubling season as a backup; or retire.
Marino was drafted by Miami from the University of Pittsburgh in 1983. He was part of the 1983 grand quarterback class that included John Elway, Jim Kelly, Ken O'Brien, Todd Blackledge and Tony Eason. Marino was the sixth of that group selected in the first round, slipping to the No. 27 pick over all.
He made the Pro Bowl as a rookie and then in his second Miami season produced the most passing yards and touchdown passes in N.F.L. history.
That helped Marino and Miami reach Super Bowl XIX, a 38-16 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, in 1985.
Marino kept piling up the numbers, but not the championships, throughout the rest of his career. Too many of his teams featured average receivers and average running backs. At playoff time, other quarterbacks and the competition proved better.
Marino, regardless, became an N.F.L. and a Florida fixture.
PRO FOOTBALL; Vikings and Dolphins Are Interested, but Marino Decides to Retire.
By THOMAS GEORGE
Published: March 11, 2000
Dan Marino, the most productive quarterback in National Football League history, will announce his retirement on Monday after flirting with a chance to start for the Minnesota Vikings.
Marino, 38, who played the last 17 seasons, all of them for the Miami Dolphins, has told his friends, team management and Minnesota Coach Dennis Green that he has played his last game. Marino decided to retire rather than join the Vikings as their starter or remain in Miami as a backup.
Marino, who owns or has tied 30 N.F.L. passing records, said he based his decision on his health, his family (his wife, Claire, and five children ages 4 to 14), his trepidation over joining a team (Minnesota) that is making several changes and his disinterest in staying with a team (Miami) that only recently moved from noncommittal to lukewarm in its interest in him.
''Dan has had troubles with his legs and his knees over the years and risking injury in a new offense with a new line on turf in a new city was risking a lot,'' said one Dolphins official. ''I know his family was not excited about moving from Florida to Minnesota, so basically he would have been away from them for a year. Plus, Dan came in as a Dolphin and I know he would like to go out as one, regardless of any hurt feelings.''
Marino retires as the league's career leader in completions (4,967), passing yardage (61,361) and touchdown passes (420). In the 1984-85 season he set the single-season record in yards (5,084) and touchdown passes (48).
Despite all his achievement, the Dolphins entered last season uncertain if Marino could still produce. There was friction between Marino and his coach, Jimmy Johnson. Marino missed five games because of a bulging disk in his neck, which caused nerve damage to his throwing shoulder. His record was 2-5 after returning from that injury.
Miami reached the playoffs, won a dramatic game at Seattle and then lost at Jacksonville, 62-7.
Marino struggled mightily in that game and looked immobile and frazzled. For the first time in his career, Marino last season threw more interceptions (17) than touchdown passes (12).
The questions began immediately after that collapse: Is Marino's career over? Can he still play? Will he retire?
Johnson resigned after the season and Dave Wannstedt replaced him. Wannstedt hired the former Dallas coach Chan Gailey as Miami's new offensive coordinator.
Wannstedt and Gailey wanted new direction, without Marino and the $7.58 million he would cost the team's salary cap this year. Marino, thinking he might be cut, voided the final two years of his contract on Feb. 10 so he could become an unrestricted free agent. The Dolphins signed a free-agent quarterback, Jay Feidler, from Jacksonville.
Enter Minnesota and Green.
The Vikings offered the best deal, a starting job for the 2000 season, a one-year job of grooming Minnesota's quarterback of the future, Daunte Culpepper. They also appeared to be a team in transition, with Green having replaced several coaches during the off-season.
Minnesota also has a dramatically altered offensive line. Two Pro Bowl starters, Jeff Christy and Randall McDaniel, left the Vikings recently and signed with Tampa Bay.
Miami jumped in after Minnesota's offer. The Dolphins said they wanted Marino to stay, but only as the likely backup.
So, those were Marino's three choices: Go to Minnesota in a risky move; stay in Miami for a troubling season as a backup; or retire.
Marino was drafted by Miami from the University of Pittsburgh in 1983. He was part of the 1983 grand quarterback class that included John Elway, Jim Kelly, Ken O'Brien, Todd Blackledge and Tony Eason. Marino was the sixth of that group selected in the first round, slipping to the No. 27 pick over all.
He made the Pro Bowl as a rookie and then in his second Miami season produced the most passing yards and touchdown passes in N.F.L. history.
That helped Marino and Miami reach Super Bowl XIX, a 38-16 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, in 1985.
Marino kept piling up the numbers, but not the championships, throughout the rest of his career. Too many of his teams featured average receivers and average running backs. At playoff time, other quarterbacks and the competition proved better.
Marino, regardless, became an N.F.L. and a Florida fixture.
