Eric Weddle's recent retirement announcement was somewhat surprising. While he did see his run of three straight Pro Bowl selections come to an end, Weddle, a six-time Pro Bowl, and two-time All-Pro safety was a quality player in his 13th season, starting in all 16 of the Rams' games and recording 108 tackles, his highest total since the 2014 season. But while he is still good enough to start at the NFL level, Weddle decided that, after a year that saw him battle through an injury and being away from his family, it was time to retire.

"I thought, 'What's one more year?'" Weddle said before making the decision to retire, via Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer. "I know I can still play, and play at a high level, even with the knee. But thinking about going through a whole season, going through the pain, honestly, it made me sick to my stomach. And I realized if my heart's not in it, my mind's not in it, then it's time to go. I always follow my gut and that's what I'm feeling right now."

After spending his first nine seasons with the Chargers, Weddle moved his family -- that includes his wife and four children -- with him to Baltimore after signing with the Ravens in 2016. But after his contract with the Ravens expired last offseason, Weddle and his family moved back to San Diego. His family remained there when Weddle signed with the Rams, which meant that Weddle spent a considerable amount of time traveling from Los Angeles to San Diego in order to see his family during the season.

While being away from his family made his 2019 less than desirable, Weddle also dealt with the first significant lower-body injury of his career. In Week 1, Weddle broke off cartilage in his knee, an injury that he played through during the season. By the end of the season, four pieces of cartilage "the size of dimes" were floating around in Weddle's knee. Weddle said that the injury, along with being away from his family, made the 2019 season a challenging one while contributing to his decision to retire.

Despite the negatives, Weddle did enjoy his time with the Rams despite the team going through a disappointing 9-7 season. After the season, Weddle, who still wasn't 100% sure if he was going to retire, went to Rams head coach Sean McVay's house to watch the college football national championship game on Jan. 13. During that time, the two discussed the things that the Rams could do differently to improve heading into the 2020 season. But less than a month after that night, Weddle decided to call it a career while going out on his own terms. 

And while he never hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, Weddle achieved a slew of both team and individual successes, becoming a fan favorite in San Diego before helping the Ravens return to the postseason in 2018 after a three-year absence.

"You try to do something as good as you can, and leave an imprint," said Weddle, who plans to spend his first year in retirement with his family before making any long-term decisions on what he may do next. "I tell guys, try and stand for what you want your last name to stand for. For me, that was being accountable, a guy everyone could count on, who loved the game, respected the game, and would do anything for those around him.… I'm excited for what's next, and I feel like I left the game better than I found it. You do that, and you can leave the game proud and happy."