Among active players, London Fletcher holds the record for most consecutive games, but that appears to be coming to an end very shortly. The Washington linebacker announced today that this season will likely be his last. At 38 years old and on a team that is a complete dumpster fire right now, it makes sense, but it is another tough blow for the Redskins.
Fletcher announced today that he wanted to announce his decision today because this will be his last home game and “what better way to end it” than a win against division rivals, the Dallas Cowboys. He thanked Washington and their fans and even stated his coach’s case, saying, “I think Coach Shanahan is a great coach. 95% of the guys who played for him loved playing for him.” After a disappointing season and an alleged feud with franchise quarterback Robert Griffin III, many have lost faith in the head coach.
One thing Fletcher will be remembered for is reliability. Never missing a game in his career is something only four players have ever accomplished, and Fletcher is one of those four. Not only was he reliable, he was talented, making the Pro Bowl four times in his career. He has the led the league in tackles and is a member of the NFL’s 20 sack/20 interception club, but has remained under the radar as far as linebackers go. With players like Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher being remembered as two of the best middle linebackers in recent history, people overlook how good Fletcher was. He never complained about the lack of attention, instead went about his business and always tried to help his team win.
