Dallas Cowboys: Darren McFadden calls it a career and retires
After finding new life as a member of the Dallas Cowboys, running back Darren McFadden has decided to hang up his cleats and retire after 10 seasons.
Two days after the Dallas Cowboys agreed to part ways with veteran running back Darren McFadden, the former first round selection has now opted to call it a career. The 30-year McFadden announced his retirement on Tuesday after he went unclaimed on the waiver wire following his release by Dallas over the weekend.
The fourth overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft never quite live up to his lofty draft status during his time with the Oakland Raiders, the team that drafted him and where he spent the first seven years of his NFL career. During that span, McFadden was only able to exceed the 1,000 yard rushing mark once as various injuries plagued his once promising career.
— Darren McFadden (@dmcfadden20) November 28, 2017
McFadden signed with the Cowboys as a free agent back in 2015, the day after Dallas lost running back DeMarco Murray to the Philadelphia Eagles via free agency themselves. Murray had led the league in rushing the season before.
After initially being part of a running back-by-committee in Dallas that included Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar and Christine Michael, McFadden separated himself from the pack posting 1,089 rushing yards and three touchdowns while starting in only 10 games that season. It was only the second time in his career he was able to surpass the 1,000 yard rushing total.
The addition of rookie phenom Ezekiel Elliott and an offseason elbow injury limited McFadden to just three games in 2016. And this year, despite being kept on the active roster all season, the aging running back record only a single carry for -2 yards before being waived by the Cowboys on Sunday.
Recently retired former Cowboys RB Darren McFadden on with @BenandSkin said he was disappointed when he didn't get a chance to play these last 3 games after getting his hopes up thinking he'd have an opportunity. "I went through an emotional roller coaster this whole season."
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) November 28, 2017
It’s a bittersweet ending for McFadden. Forever to be known as “Run DMC”, the former Arkansas Razorback star will be remembered for an injured plagued professional career that never lived up to his college hype. But Darren also got to finish his career playing for his favorite childhood team. And that’s something most professional athletes don’t get to do.
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Darren McFadden will finish his 10-year NFL career having rushed for a total of 5,421 yards and 28 touchdowns between 2008-2017. He also posted 254 receptions for 2,114 yards and five scores as a receiver out of the backfield.