The Eddie Goldman Prophecy Came True After All

From 2015 through 2018, Eddie Goldman established himself as one of the best nose tackles in the NFL. His size, power, and intelligence allowed him to clog running lanes easily. Offensive lines hated going against him. He was fine again in 2019, and expectations were he'd continue to be a focal point for their defensive line moving forward. Then something happened. Goldman opted out of playing in 2020 due to fear of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fair enough. He was far from the only athlete to do so. He'd simply be back in 2021, fully rested and ready to go. Yet when the time came for him to rejoin the team, Goldman stayed away. Volunteer minicamps, OTAs, and mandatory minicamps? All were skipped. Suddenly people were left wondering if the defensive tackle had mentally checked out of football during his long hiatus. Some even suggested he was pondering retirement. In the end, Goldman elected to play last year. It was difficult to watch. The player he'd been two years prior wasn't there. He wasn't terrible, but the dominance he'd shown before was a distant memory. That was a big reason why new GM Ryan Poles chose to cut him earlier this offseason. He was no longer close to worth the money the Chicago Bears were paying him. Goldman opted to sign with the Atlanta Falcons, joining several former Bears teammates down there.

Then the other shoe finally dropped.

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Eddie Goldman finally reached the inevitable conclusion.

It was obvious his love of football had slackened during his time away. Other circumstances in his private life might've played a part too. Such details are impossible to know for sure. Anybody with common sense could see his reluctance to return last year. It was almost as if he had to talk himself into giving it a go. Maybe he felt obligated because of the money he'd be turning down by stepping away. Perhaps he didn't want to let his teammates down. Whatever it was, Eddie Goldman reached his breaking point with training camp about to begin. He is far from the first player in NFL history to retire before his 30th birthday. It has become a growing trend over the past decade. Some players don't want to break their bodies down. They make their millions, have a decent few years in the NFL, and then get out. Bears fans should appreciate what he accomplished during his first four seasons, helping them dig out of perpetual misery in the 2010s to win the division in 2018.