NFL players who could retire after the season

A late bloomer with the Bills who is now 36, Alexander has already said this could be his final season. He's made two Pro Bowls and had 6.5 sacks last season.

Amendola extended his career in the offseason with a one-year contract in Detroit. He will turn 34 in November and is coming off a productive year, but he is reaching the age when retirement becomes more of a consideration.

Brady has stated multiple times that he'd like to play until he's 45, but he's already entering uncharted territory as an elite 42-year-old starting quarterback. The six-time Super Bowl champ has found more success at an older age than any other quarterback in history, but older quarterbacks do tend to suddenly fall of a cliff. If it happens to Brady this year, he could consider hanging up his cleats earlier than anticipated.

Brees has already noticeably lost arm strength and is entering the final year of his contract at age 40. Still, he's set the completion percentage record in consecutive seasons for the Saints and continues to play at a high level. New Orleans has a chance to win a Super Bowl this year, and Brees could decide to go out on top if it happens.

Crabtree didn't draw much interest this offseason before Kliff Kingsbury brought him to Arizona in mid-August. His production has declined sharply over the last two seasons, and Crabtree could have trouble finding a contract again next offseason if he doesn't see an immediate rebound at age 32.

Davis is wearing a uniform other than the Panthers for the first time in his career, signing with the Chargers in the offseason. He still played well at age 35 last season but is entering an age when defensive players can break down suddenly.

Davis has had a long and productive career and has settled in as Washington's No. 2 tight end over the last three seasons. He saw his playing time decline last year at age 34 and now, at 35, is one of the oldest offensive players in the league.

Fitzgerald is to a point that he's making a decision about retirement each offseason. He opted to return for his age 36 season despite Arizona's offensive struggles last year, including a career-low 734 receiving yards for Fitzgerald in 2018. The additions of Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray add some optimism, but if the Cardinals season doesn't go as hoped, Fitzgerald could finally call it quits on a Hall of Fame career.

It seemed like Gore might end his career in Miami, where he grew up and played college ball, but he's returned for one more year with Buffalo. He's one of the oldest running backs in the league, but Gore's 4.6 yards per carry last season showed that he has something left. Still, he remains in a year-to-year situation given his age, 36.

Incognito was out of football last year while he dealt with mental health issues, but the four-time Pro Bowler has found an opportunity with Oakland at age 36. It remains to be seen how much he has left after the layoff.

The oft-injured 33-year-old Lee has already been pushed to the bench by Leighton Vander Esch and played in only seven games for the Cowboys last season. He's likely to see limited snaps again this year in what's clearly a career nearing the end.

The Giants are already looking beyond Manning after drafting Daniel Jones sixth overall this year. Manning is expected to remain the starter, but New York could opt to give Jones a chance if the season starts as poorly as many expect. At 38, Manning could retire after this season if it's another subpar year like his last two.

McCoy remains in Buffalo despite a poor 2018 season, averaging only 3.2 yards per carry. The 31-year-old back is very much in decline territory for a player at his position, and the Bills have added plenty of competition for snaps. Further decline could push McCoy out of the NFL.

McCown was set to work for ESPN this year before an opportunity arrived with Philadelphia. He is now Carson Wentz's backup at age 40, but this would seem like his final season.

Olsen was rumored to be a consideration for a TV gig before returning for his 13th season. The tight end has had chronic foot issues in Carolina over the last two seasons, and the injuries could ultimately push him off the field following his age-34 season if they continue.

Peters returned healthy last year and continued to play at a high level. The Eagles have already made arrangements to replace him by drafting Andre Dillard in the first round, as Peters is playing in his age-37 season.

Peterson was a savior for Washington after Derrius Guice was injured last year, and he ran for 1,000 yards for the first time since 2015. He will get another opportunity at age 34 this season, but it's worth noting that the running back looked finished before his resurgence last year. He might not get another chance if he declines again.

Sproles has missed most of the last two seasons due to injury, but Philadelphia has brought him back for one more go-around at age 36. One of the greatest third-down backs in NFL history, Sproles will serve as a complementary back again, but it's unclear how much he has left.

Suggs is wearing a uniform other than his customary Ravens digs after signing with Arizona. He was a situational pass rusher in Baltimore last year and will turn 37 this season, but he remained effective with seven sacks in 2018. Moving to a worse team could expedite his decision to retire.

Talib continues to play at a high level, but injuries became an issue for him at age 32 last year. He played only eight regular-season games, showing the wear and tear of an 11-year career. Another injury-plagued season could lead to retirement.

Coming off a major injury and poor play between Denver and Houston last season, Thomas struggled to find a one-year contract in the offseason. He's not expected to have a prominent role with the Patriots this season at age 31, and further decline could push the former Broncos star out of the league.

A future Hall of Fame kicker, Vinatieri continues to take a year-to-year approach now at age 46. He's made at least 85 percent of his field goals in the last three seasons but did start to show some signs of slippage last year.

Watson retired after last season, but he decided to quickly return when the Patriots came calling. He's set to serve a four-game suspension to start the season but could step in as New England's No. 1 tight end upon his return. Turning 39 in December, Watson seems likely to retire after one more attempt to win his second Super Bowl ring.

Whitworth remains an effective and durable left tackle at age 37, but retirement is certainly getting closer given his age. He's in the final season of his three-year deal with the Rams and could make that his final NFL deal.

Witten was in the "Monday Night Football" broadcast booth last year but came out of retirement to rejoin the Cowboys at age 37 this year. For now it looks like a one-year trial, as he tries to get Dallas over the hump and into the Super Bowl.