TEMPE, Ariz. -- One of the NFL’s longest-tenured players retired Wednesday.
Arizona Cardinals long snapper Mike Leach, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2000, announced his decision to retire Wednesday morning on Twitter.
"Every journey, no matter how great, must eventually come to an end," Leach wrote. "Today, I’ve reached the end of my journey as a player in the National Football League. It is rare in our profession that a player gets to choose when it’s over and to go out on his terms.
"I am making that choice before waning abilities -- or worse, an injury -- make it for me."
Leach played in 216 consecutive games, the second-longest streak among active players. He played in 235 total games, which was seventh most among active players.
Only eight other players who played in 2015 have been in the league as long as Leach, including New England's Tom Brady and Denver's Peyton Manning.
He joined the Cardinals in 2009 and most recently signed a one-year deal before the 2015 season.
Leach and his wife, Julie, began a company called Potty Pals in May 2015. It’s a potty-training tool that combines the use of a stuffed animal, an illustrated book and a training chart.
