--- title: Vontae Davis Retires at Halftime From Buffalo Bills description: Vontae Davis, a player for the Buffalo Bills abruptly retired during halftime because he realized he shouldn't be out there. canonical: https://time.com/5398030/vontae-davis-nfl/ author: Ashley Hoffman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-09-17T14:39:51.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:54:52.639Z og:title: Buffalo Bills Cornerback Retires From NFL in the Middle of a Game og:description: People are in disblief og:url: https://time.com/5398030/vontae-davis-nfl/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf27bb430c965499d/69893a698fd2ee1f3b35ca3e/vontaedavis.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Los Angeles Chargers v Buffalo Bills og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Buffalo Bills Cornerback Retires From NFL in the Middle of a Game twitter:description: People are in disblief twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf27bb430c965499d/69893a698fd2ee1f3b35ca3e/vontaedavis.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # This Football Player Retired at Halftime Because He Felt He 'Shouldn't Be Out There Anymore.' 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The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. by [Ashley Hoffman](https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/) ## Ashley Hoffman Sep 17, 2018 2:39 PM UTC  Vontae Davis #22 of the Buffalo Bills during pre-game warmups prior to the start of NFL game action against the Los Angeles Chargers at New Era Field on September 16, 2018 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) Vontae Davis #22 of the Buffalo Bills during pre-game warmups prior to the start of NFL game action against the Los Angeles Chargers at New Era Field on September 16, 2018 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) Tom Szczerbowski—Getty Images by [Ashley Hoffman](https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/) ## Ashley Hoffman Sep 17, 2018 2:39 PM UTC Sunday’s biggest shock in sports came when Buffalo Bills cornerback Vontae Davis retired abruptly at [halftime.](http://time.com/5389844/eagles-troll-patriots/) It wasn’t how the 10-year [NFL](http://time.com/5392916/donald-trump-usfl-football-for-a-buck/) veteran imagined his departure, but in a post-game statement, he said the physical toll was what dawned on him on the field. “I shouldn’t be out there anymore,” the 30-year-old Davis said, noting the toll the game had taken on his body. “The season is long, and it’s more important for me and my family to walk away healthy than to willfully embrace the warrior mentality and limp away too late … This was an overwhelming decision, but I’m at peace with myself and my family.” Davis did not cite a specific injury, but [research](http://time.com/4871597/degenerative-brain-disease-cte-football/) has suggested a link between playing football and traumatic brain injuries. Davis signed onto the struggling Bills team earlier in the year. According to [ESPN](http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/%5F/id/24703207/buffalo-bills-cb-vontae-davis-abruptly-retires-football-half-vs-los-angeles-chargers), the Bills signed on the player for a one-year contract in February to the tune of $2.25 million for his base salary plus a $1.5 million signing bonus. His mid-game departure took his coach and teammates by shock. “\[Davis\] pulled himself out of the game,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “He communicated to us that he was done.” “Never have seen it ever,” linebacker Lorenzo Alexander said. “Pop Warner, high school, college, pros. Never heard of it. Never seen it. And it’s just completely disrespectful to his teammates.” > [](https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1041456780818042880) Fans watching online were as stunned by Davis’ timing as ever, and could not resist the joke opportunities. > [](https://twitter.com/nickgroke/status/1041434525086101504) > [](https://twitter.com/PierceSimpson/status/1041431103544811521) > [](https://twitter.com/MasterTes/status/1041440621905502208) > [](https://twitter.com/TheJokerJavis/status/1041433514103775233) > [](https://twitter.com/bre%5F88/status/1041429306541518854) > [](https://twitter.com/%5Fmarlee%5Fmal/status/1041441237335724032) The Los Angeles Chargers ultimately beat the Buffalo Bills 31-20, laying out a challenging road ahead for the team. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5398030/vontae-davis-nfl/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5398030/vontae-davis-nfl/"},"headline":"This Football Player Retired at Halftime Because He Felt He 'Shouldn't Be Out There Anymore.' 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