DENVER -- Jerry Rice was checked out of his hotel in Denver on Sunday, as he contemplated whether to retire or play his final season as a fourth or fifth receiver for the Broncos.
Rice survived Denver's cutdown to 53 players Saturday.
But his agent, Jim Steiner, said the NFL's all-time leading receiver had been notified by Broncos coach Mike Shanahan that he would not be their No. 3 receiver.
"That's out of the picture," Steiner said.
Steiner said Rice wanted to close out his career no lower than a third receiver.
"That's what his goal was," Steiner said. "That's what he wanted."
Workers at the hotel where Rice has stayed since he signed with Denver -- a golf resort close to the Broncos facility -- said Rice's golf clubs were gone, and he checked out of the hotel late last week. Steiner said Rice was in San Francisco on Sunday and a decision would likely come Monday, after he had a chance to meet with Shanahan.
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| Jerry Rice looks like he might not make it for a 21st NFL season. (AP) |
Midway through training camp, he moved ahead of Darius Watts as the team's third receiver. But in the third preseason game, last week against Indianapolis, Watts was playing ahead of Rice when the Broncos lined up in three-receiver sets.
In the preseason finale against Arizona, Rice played more, but that was because the starters were on the bench. Hampered by a nagging foot injury, Rice caught only four passes for 24 yards in the preseason and had trouble getting open.
Denver kept six receivers on its final roster, including Rice, Watts, Charlie Adams and Todd Devoe.
Walking off the field after Denver's final preseason game Friday, Rice told the Denver Post: "Those guys deserve to be on the field. They worked real hard. The thing is, I'm going to hold my head high if it doesn't work out."
At this point, it looks as if Watts is the third receiver and the other three are competing for the final two spots. If Denver stays with six receivers, Rice could be put in the position of being inactive for some of the team's games.
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