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New Orleans Saints offensive lineman Zach Strief’s season ended long before the rest of his teammates as he suffered a torn ACL and MCL in October which required surgery. Strief has contemplated retirement due to that serious injury, but the Saints’ stunning loss to the Minnesota Vikings in the playoffs has caused him to have some second thoughts, as ESPN’s Mike Triplett reports.
“And then there’s part of you that says, ‘I don’t want to finish like that,’” Strief said Tuesday, referring to the 29-24 playoff loss at Minnesota. “As much time as you have [to think about it], the finality of a season always kind of brings with it new feelings and different feelings. So I think it’s always something that you kind of take a couple weeks and get away from it completely and then make that decision.”
The 34-year-old Strief, who just had one of the best seasons of his career in 2016, believes he can still come back physically from his ACL injury. However, he says he’ll still need time to talk to his wife, with whom he’s expecting his first child, before settling on a final decision.
Regardless of what Strief ultimately does decide to do, though, the Saints should be in a relatively strong position along the offensive line. Rookie first-rounder Ryan Ramczyk had a strong season after taking Strief’s spot at right tackle and should only get better with experience. And if Strief returns, the Saints will appreciate having such an experienced backup lineman in reserve.
