The New Orleans Saints lost Max Unger to retirement over the weekend, with the 10-year NFL veteran choosing to step away from the game after earning three Pro Bowl nominations, an AP All-Pro selection, and Super Bowl XLVIII championship. He’ll return to his family ranch on Oahu, the Big Island in Hawai’i. Before departing, Unger held a final conference call with local media to discuss his Saints career and his plans moving forward.
“It’s not easy,” Unger admitted, when asked about discussing his decision to retire with Saints teammates. He said that calling Drew Brees with the news was the hardest conversation he’d had — no other Saints center has started more games with No. 9 than Unger (66, including the postseason). “There are a lot of close relationships and guys I have a lot of respect for. Having to call them and tell them, it’s tough. The last month I came to the realization that I was done.”
Age and a lengthening injury history were at the forefront of Unger’s mind as he mulled it over: “At the end of the day, I guess I’m retiring because I didn’t think I could make it through another season. I’ve had health issues,” he continued, explaining how doctors suggested he undergo surgery on a lower-body injury that would sideline him for the entire offseason. Having gone through that before with a 2017 foot injury, Unger wasn’t eager for another slow recovery before continuing to play beneath his standards. “At the end of the day, you kinda evaluate how you’re playing and where you see life after football going.”
Unger hopes to help coach high school football in his hometown of Hookena, though he isn’t sure if that’s a long-term career option. It’s something he things could help him transition out of his routine as a professional player: “It’s really the only thing I’ve known for the past 20 years. My life has revolved around football since I was a freshman in high school, and it’s really the lifestyle I know.”
