Priest Holmes Career may be Over

[Vertigo]

Chiefs running back Priest Holmes may be on the verge of retirement due to a lump on his spinal cord that could lead to paralysis if he continues to play. KSHB NBC TV in Kansas City is reporting that Holmes has "very possibly" played his final game in a Chiefs uniform and could announce his retirement from the NFL as soon as Thursday. The team has not confirmed the local report, and as of Tuesday, head coach Dick Vermeil claimed he was uncertain about Holmes' status.

"I don't have any information and sometimes I get upset that I don't have more information," Vermeil said in Tuesday's press conference. "But the information and communication system is in the right hands: Dr. Browne, our medical staff and our trainers, and the people he is consulting with."

The injury may or may not be directly related to the mild head trauma he suffered in a violent collision with Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman in week eight. Holmes visited a spine specialist in California last week before missing last Sunday's game against the Raiders. Early this week he sought a third opinion in Miami. Holmes also sustained a neck injury in week two that did not cause him to miss time but may be related.

The 32-year-old running back has been unable to finish two of the last three seasons due to injury. Last year, a sprained knee cost him eight games, and in 2002, a hip injury that required surgery cost him the final two contests. He has undergone three knee surgeries in his playing career.

Holmes has arguably been fantasy football's most productive player over the last four seasons and was the consensus top overall fantasy draft pick in 2003 and 2004. He set two single-season NFL scoring records?one for total touchdowns and one for rushing touchdowns?with 27 scores in the 2003 season. Even as injuries mounted, he has continued to cross the stripe at an unprecedented level. In his last 45 games, he has recorded an astounding 73 touchdowns.

This is not the first time we've heard of Priest Holmes and retirement. After Ricky Williams walked out of the Dolphins locker room prior to the 2004-2005 seasons, Holmes admitted publicly that he too had considered retirement in the past and was not opposed to walking away from the game early. With an injury as serious as this reportedly is, Priest's decision may be an easy one.

Holmes' possible retirement would leave the Chiefs starting running back job to three-year veteran Larry Johnson, a former first-round draft pick. In his first start of the season last Sunday against Oakland, Johnson rushed for 107 yards, collected 48 receiving yards, and scored two rushing touchdowns?including the game-winning one-yard plunge on the final play of the game. This production came as no surprise to veteran fantasy owners who watched Johnson dominate late last season while Holmes was on injured reserve with a knee injury. In the final five games of the season, Johnson averaged over 138 total yards and two touchdowns per game.

"[Johnson's] been very impressive," Vermeil said on Tuesday. "We haven't had Willie Roaf or other things that make those numbers even more impressive, but he's been very impressive. He's made some long runs, he's made 60-yard runs on screens and, to me, he was Priest Holmes."

Priest Holmes without the injuries? That sounds suspiciously like a top-five fantasy running back, and it's hard to argue that Johnson wouldn't be exactly that for the rest of the season. Even while getting just one of every three series, L.J. has more touchdowns than Willis McGahee, more yards than Holmes and Corey Dillon, and a per-carry average that ranks fifth in the NFL. He also may be launching his career as a starting back against two defenses?the Bills and the Texans?that statistically rank dead last in the NFL against the run.

It's also worth nothing that the Chiefs passing game kicked into high gear when Holmes when down last season. Priest sustained the injury early in week nine, at which point tight end Tony Gonzalez went on to record four 100-yard games and wide receiver Eddie Kennison scored all eight of his touchdowns. Trent Green also tossed six 300-yard games in nine outings.

At the risk of reducing Vermeil to a weeping mess, we'll conclude by wishing Holmes well. Although fantasy owners around the world would lament his sudden departure (to put it kindly), we'd much prefer to watch him walk away from the game rather than what could have been a tragic alternative. Needless to say, it's an absolute injustice to see Holmes potentially robbed of his career just days after Terrell Owens' idiocy only temporarily curbed his.

[NJTank]

Ouch that too bad.

[FightinIrish11]

i heard this story this afternoon and i thought it was quite a surprise, kind of out of nowhere. this truly is a shame, priest holmes was one of the premiere running backs in the league , when he was healthy. i never had the chance to see him in person, but i would've had that chance in a couple weeks. this is rather trivial given the situation, but the chiefs have a strong back up in larry johnson. priest holmes was a class act on and off the field (i never met him, but he just kind of seemed like it). does anyone know what this lump is or what causes it?

[MHraven626]

as a resident cheifs fan. I do believe that the "lump" is a tumor on his spine and he is expected to announce his retirement soon.

[bosox]

I just read an article on Yahoo saying that doctors believe the opposite of what you posted.

Of course, the Yahoo article could be wrong.

Its too bad that a running back that had so much potential has gotten plauged by injuries so much.

[bhambruiser]

now here is the big question. If he does retire does he deserve to go to Canton?...i would think probably not...he had three monster years- very similar to Terrell Davis...except Davis won a Super Bowl.

I intrigued myself: here are TD and Priest's stats

davis.........g-78....att-1655....ru yds-7607...avg-4.6...td-60...rec-169...yds-1280..td-5

holmes......g-109...att-1734...ru yds-8035...avg-4.6...td-86...rec-334...yds-2945...td-8

keep in mind:

holmes wasnt always a starter...people argue that TD is Hall of Fame worthy...what do you think now?

[WSU151]

Not Hall of Fame. Neither is Terrell Davis...especially now that it's more and more apparent that Davis was the first good running back of a particular system.

[OB33]

now here is the big question. If he does retire does he deserve to go to Canton?...i would think probably not...he had three monster years- very similar to Terrell Davis...except Davis won a Super Bowl.

Remember, Priest won a Super Bowl with Baltimore before joining Kansas City as a free agent.

And I think Priest could make the hall both Earl Campbell and Kellen Winslow had short careers with gaudy stats and both are enshrined in Canton, I think Priest has the numbers but then again I think T.O. is going to New England.

[RyanB06]

now here is the big question. If he does retire does he deserve to go to Canton?...i would think probably not...he had three monster years- very similar to Terrell Davis...except Davis won a Super Bowl.

Remember, Priest won a Super Bowl with Baltimore before joining Kansas City as a free agent.

And I think Priest could make the hall both Earl Campbell and Kellen Winslow had short careers with gaudy stats and both are enshrined in Canton, I think Priest has the numbers but then again I think T.O. is going to New England.

I thought being the NFL's single-season touchdown record holder counted for something...

(And no, I do not want T.O. anywhere near the Patriots.)

[WSU151]

I thought being the NFL's single-season touchdown record holder counted for something...

It just meant he had a good season. Or three

Jamal Lewis isn't going into the Hall of Fame anytime soon despite owning the single-game rushing record as well as 2000 yds.

Stats are impressive, but you need A LOT of them to get into the Hall (these days, IMO). He did have those three monster years, and he yes he had great numbers...but nothing really seems memorable...I dunno.

Are you really going to look back 20 years from now and say, "Wow. Priest Holmes is one of the best running backs in the HISTORY of the NFL?" He's good, but he's not THAT good.

[STL FANATIC]

now here is the big question. If he does retire does he deserve to go to Canton?...i would think probably not...he had three monster years- very similar to Terrell Davis...except Davis won a Super Bowl.

Remember, Priest won a Super Bowl with Baltimore before joining Kansas City as a free agent.

And I think Priest could make the hall both Earl Campbell and Kellen Winslow had short careers with gaudy stats and both are enshrined in Canton, I think Priest has the numbers but then again I think T.O. is going to New England.

I thought being the NFL's single-season touchdown record holder counted for something...

(And no, I do not want T.O. anywhere near the Patriots.)

Being the MLB single season HR record holder for 37 years didn't and apparently doesn't mean anything, no reason to assume NFL's singles season TD record means anything more.

[WSU151]

I thought being the NFL's single-season touchdown record holder counted for something...

Bringing back an old thread...

That single-season touchdown record no longer belongs to Priest Holmes.

Kudos to Shaun Alexander.

[The Nation]

Jamal Lewis still has a chance to get into the hall if he can get back on track..he already has a:

-superbowl ring

-offensive player of the year

-single game rush record

-2000 yard season

i think 6 more years of 1000 yards and he can get in.

[NJTank]

Mark my words Jamal Lewis will be comeback player of the year next year. Last year he had surgery and was in prison, being free and healthy this year he will bounce back.

[aaaaabbbbb]

If Lynn Swan is in the HOF then Priest Holmes should be in the HOF.

[NJTank]

I wont be for Priest Holmes going in the Hall unles Terrell Davis goes first.

[Cujo]

If Lynn Swan is in the HOF then Priest Holmes should be in the HOF.

Swann shouldn't be in if Art Monk isn't.

[NJTank]

Well I will agree its ridicilous Monk is not in the Hall.

Im just not convinced on Preist yet personally, which is why I used TD as a bell wetaher TD rushed for 2000 yards won season won Offensive Player of the Year twice, NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP Awards. His career may have been short but it was spectaluar