For the first time in 25 years, Barry Sanders is talking publicly about why he decided to leave the Detroit Lions and retire from the NFL, and his former quarterback fired back at him.
In 1999, just before the Lions were about to begin training camp, Sanders announced his sudden retirement, citing a lack of enthusiasm for the game and a lack of direction for the team. Sanders provided a more thorough explanation and stated that he thought Detroit’s window for the Super Bowl had closed in a recent Amazon documentary.
“For me, just that thing that drove me to play, which is that passion, just wasn’t there,” Sanders said. “There was nothing really left to play for. I didn’t see us as any kind of a serious Super Bowl contender. … I felt like I was making a pretty clear decision. I just felt like, in my mind, this is pretty much it.”
The remarks revived some criticism for quarterback Scott Mitchell, who took to Facebook to offer a response and defend himself.
Scott Mitchell Speaks Out
Mitchell responded to criticism that he was one of the main reasons the team’s Super Bowl window had closed, giving credit to Sanders but adding that he was not the one holding the team back.
“I just watched ‘Bye Bye Barry’ on Amazon Prime,” Mitchell wrote on Facebook, via the Detroit News. “It was not a very pleasant experience. I was Barry Sanders teammate for five years. I had a front row seat to some of the most amazing plays in NFL history. He will never have an equal as a pure runner in the NFL. I could argue that their (sic) were several running backs that were more complete, but I won’t. Barry was great!
“However, I am so tired of hearing how I was the reason that Barry Sanders never won a Super Bowl,” Mitchell added. “I’m so tired of hearing how I was not a good QB. My only response is F–K YOU ALL!!!!! That includes Eminem (and) Jeff Daniels.”
Mitchell’s remarks generated some controversy, and he appeared on WFAN on November 22 to explain that he had gotten tired of hearing how “if Barry just had a quarterback, he would be a Super Bowl winner.”
“I just felt like I had to defend myself,” Mitchell said, adding that he did not believe he had enough time in Detroit’s system to make things work.
Barry Sanders Explains Retirement
In his documentary, Sanders explained that he saw no hope in the immediate future. Though the Lions reached the NFC title game in 1991, they failed to win another playoff game during his tenure. They lost in the wild card round three times from 1994 to 1997, then dropped to 5-11 in 1998.
The team made some major changes to the roster following the 1998 season, parting ways with a number of core players. In the documentary, Sanders explained that the roster overhaul left him unsure of the franchise’s direction.
“You go to war and go to battle with those guys, you form a bond, obviously,” Sanders said. “Some of the guys that they may have brought in to replace those guys were just not the same, but you’ve got to take the field with the guys you practice with. … Had that group been able to stay together, somehow, we definitely could have done much better and definitely would have won some playoff games.”
Following Sanders’ retirement, the Lions bounced back, finishing 8-8 in 1999 and qualifying for the postseason; however, they wouldn’t return until 2011.
